Wyoming business helps care for orphaned baby alpaca

EVANSVILLE, WY (KCWY) — You’ve heard of some mothers bringing their babies to work with them, or people bringing their dogs. But a business in Evansville, WY, made a special exception when an employee had a four legged newborn with no mother to care for it.

Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply Store may have a galloping horse on their logo, but there’s another face that could have dibs on being their mascot, even though she’s only 3-days-old.

“They’re like oh my goodness, how adorable,” says Tory Augustine.

Augustine works as a cashier at Murdoch’s. She and her husband also raise alpacas near Glenrock. On thursday night one alpaca that went into labor was having major complications.

“We knew she wasn’t doing well so I called my manager and said, ‘Shelly I kind of have a problem,'” Augustine says.

The mother ended up passing away from those complications, leaving the newborn alpaca they named Kathy orphaned and alone.

“I said, ‘I have an alpaca baby that I need to bottle feed every two hours,'” says Augustine. “‘I don’t really know what to do with her, maybe we can set up a pen in the back.’ And Shelly said, ‘Just put her in the pod with you up in front, we’ll figure something out and I’m sure the customers would love to see her.'”

So Kathy hangs out behind Tory as she works, doing things that baby’s like to do…like eat every two hours, sleep lots, and dream…because being an orphaned baby alpaca can be exhausting.

“Its pretty neat actually,” says Augustine. “So people come in here, and you can just tell that they’ve not had a very good day, and they look over the counter and their whole attitude just changes and they walk out of here with a smile.”