Winter weary New Yorkers have been given a timely reminder that Spring has finally sprung . Smokey Da Lamb has been turning heads in some of the city 's coolest neighborhoods ever since restaurant owner Sandy Dee Hall , 34 , and his girlfriend Maxine Cher , 24 , adopted him . But now the couple - and Smokey 's impressive legion of fans - have been left devastated after city officials demanded he is taken out of the metropolis . Scroll down for video . Happy family : Restaurant owner Sandy Dee Hall , 34 ( R ) , and his girlfriend Maxine Cher , 24 ( L ) , adopted Smokey Da Lamb after he was abandoned by his mother . Lamb and the City : Smokey has made dozens of friends during his month-long stay in New York , however city officials are now demanding that he be sent back to live on the farm . At home : The young lamb has been living with Sandy in his Lower East Side apartment , and the couple have been providing him with round-the-clock care and attention . 'Unfortunately Smokey has got to go back to the farm – we 're not allowed to keep a lamb in the city , ' Maxine said . ' I 'll be sad to see him go because he 's so loving but we 're officially adopting him which means he will never end up on a dinner plate . 'We 'll visit as often as we can – Sandy has even taken lamb off the menu at his restaurant The Black Tree , in tribute to Smokey . 'Smokey has caused a few disasters while he 's been here but he 's a farmyard animal so it 's to be expected . 'We 're still going to miss him hugely . ' Devotion : Maxine ( pictured ) and Sandy bottle-feed Smokey three times a day and have to burp him after he has eaten . Friendly face : Smokey has been growing quickly since arriving in the city - and is much more confident than he was when he first moved into Sandy 's apartment . Accidents do happen : Maxine admitted that Smokey is a bit like a 'dog which has not been potty trained ' She added : 'Everybody should own a lamb – he is great and so loving . ' I guess he 's like a dog which has not been potty trained . ' Smokey was born at Violet Hill Farm in upstate New York but was abandoned by his mother and would have likely died in the cold . Fortunately Sandy , who runs Manhattan-based restaurant Black Tree , agreed to take him in when contacted by the farmer and Smokey was smuggled into his tiny apartment in the city 's Lower East Side . 'Sandy told me that he had adopted a lamb and I said he was crazy – we could n't look after a lamb , ' Maxine explained . Something for everyone : The couple believe that everybody should get the chance to own a lamb . Crazy : When Sandy first told Maxine that he had adopted a lamb from a farm in upstate New York , she admits she thought the idea was ridiculous . Change of heart : 'When I saw him my heart melted , ' Maxine admits . Keep clean : In addition to his regular bottle feeds , Maxine and Sandy have to bathe Smokey regularly , ensuring that they only use water so that his fleece does n't shrink . 'But when I saw him my heart melted - he was so cute . 'He must have been around 3 or 4 pounds and was wearing a little diaper with his tail sticking out . He was so sweet and loving . ' Smokey is bottle-fed three times a day and needs to be burped like a baby after he has had his formula . He needs regular baths and can only be washed with water so his fleece does not shrink . Maxine added : 'We take him out for regular walks in the park – he really loves that . Restaurant revolution : Since adopting Smokey , Sandy has removed all lamb dishes from the menu at his Manhattan restaurant , Black Tree . Take a seat : Often Smokey will spend time with restaurant-goers , keeping them entertained while they wait for their food . Fan club : The people of New York have quickly fallen in love with Smokey 's charming personality . Let me take a selfie ! Smokey has quickly become a social media star ; almost everyone who meets him wants to snap a picture with the popular pet . 'Smokey never needs a lead because he just likes to follow us around . 'In many ways he 's better than a dog but I 've never known a dog that needs to be bottle fed – or who poops and pees so much . 'Whenever I stay at Sandy 's apartment I will sleep in the bed and Sandy will sleep in the living room with Smokey . 'We ca n't let him in the bedroom because he will make a big mess in there . 'People in the city love him , it 's hard to get too far when you have Smokey with you . They 'll do double takes then run back to stroke him and take pictures – he 's so popular . '
Restaurant owner Sandy Dee Hall , 24 , and his girlfriend Maxine Cher , 34 , adopted Smokey Da Lamb after he was abandoned by his mother . The lamb has been living with Sandy in his Lower East Side apartment and the couple have been providing him with round-the-clock care . In honor of their new pet , Sandy removed all lamb dishes from the menu at his Manhattan restaurant .