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VISITORS to Bendigo's Hargreaves Mall on October 2 had the chance to meet two special ambassadors for Be Kind To Animals Week.
Having travelled from Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary outside Lancefield, Timmy the sheep and pig Leon Trotsky entertained passers-by at the mall for about an hour from noon.
Yellow awareness ribbons, featuring animal footprints and a human footprint, were also handed out to the public.
Pam Ahern, founder and director of Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary, said the pair brought with them an important message: kindness begets kindness.
"Many studies show... there's a strong link between people who are kind to animals and kindness to fellow human beings," she said.
"When we show kindness, it sets us on the path to greater compassion."
She said Edgar’s Mission animals were "all united by an act of kindness" because someone had stopped and decided to help a vulnerable creature.
"That just gives me so much hope," she said.
She said Edgar's Mission had made the trip to Bendigo for a few years now and every year it was worthwhile.
"When people see the animals, their faces light up," she said.
When people see the animals, their faces light up.
- Pam Ahern
"It started with my own pig in 2003, I realised the best ambassadors are the animals themselves."
Be Kind to Animals Week, in its sixth year, was a fun and enjoyable way to get people to connect with the mission's animals, Ms Ahern said.
She said Leon, who is about six months old, was now walking around after an accident early in his life temporarily took away his ability to walk.
"He was from a commercial pig farm, his mother fell on him and crushed him.
"His pelvis was crushed and his back legs couldn't move.
"His neighbour heard about him and got in contact with Edgar’s Mission.
"We had to make a cart for him to get around in. He needed time off his legs for his bones to heal."
She said Leon now weighed a healthy 20 kilograms and was expected to grow up to about 300 kilograms.
Ms Ahern said Leon was a fast learner and had learnt how to sit on Monday.
She said Timmy the sheep had been found when he was a lamb on a roadside near Geelong.
"He was on his way to somewhere," she said.
Ms Ahern said another important message of the visit was that kindness to animals should extend beyond cute baby animals.
"It's important not always to have baby animals to show children all animals are special," she said.