Meet Annie, the alpaca who thinks she’s a dog and gets driven around in the back seat of a Vauxhall

A man who hand-reared an orphaned alpaca that now refuses to move out of his home might have to make more room – for her latest offspring.

Annie the alpaca was hand-reared by Dannie Burns after she was rejected by her mother at just ten minutes old.

She never moved out – and became convinced she was a dog, just like the three Labradoodles she lived with.

Annie the alpaca with her one-year-old daughter Bailey in the home of Dannie Burns. Picture: SWNS

Mr Burns takes her everywhere in the big back seat of the Vauxhall Zafira he bought especially for her. Now Annie, four, is pregnant with a baby of her own, but has still rejected the 75-strong herd in the fields outside.

If her baby follows in its mum's footsteps Mr Burns could soon need a bigger car – and an even bigger home.

Mr Burns, from Thornhill near Stirling, said: “I’m not sure if her next baby will act like her or like an alpaca, but we may need to get an extension if the the baby does. Annie is due to give birth again at the end of September.

“She acts even more like a dog now. Every time the door opens, she lies next to the telly just like a dog would.”

Mr Burns first bought two alpacas on a whim 14 years ago after losing his job. He described keeping them as an “addiction” and has ten staff on hand at the Alpaca Trekking Centre near Thornhill to look after cows, sheep and even a golden eagle.

Annie was rejected by her mum and had to be bottle-fed every two hours by owner Mr Burns, forming a bond.

Hanging around with her canine pals rubbed off, and Annie has grown up acting in exactly the same way as a dog.

He thought she might grow out of indoor living, but even after she had her first baby Bailey, now two, she still remained a house pet.

Bailey lives outside with the herd, but mum prefers to socialise with the three dogs in the comfort of the house. And baby Bailey also likes to follow her mother inside – getting the best of both worlds.

Annie is now pregnant with her second baby, which is due next month.

“We’re all very excited, it’s a busy life, but it's good fun,” Mr Burns said. “Everyone thinks I’m crazy, but I don’t mind.”

Annie lives a luxurious life as a family pet and wanders around doing what she wants, but baby Bailey lives a more conventional alpaca life outside. Mr Burns said: “Annie sleeps on the porch now. She was with us the last two Christmases, but she is very naughty. She ate profiteroles and pulled lettuce out the bowl.

“We did hope she would go back with the herd once she has her baby, but I’m not sure if that will happen. She chews cables – they’ve got no front teeth at the top, but at the back they’re quite sharp.”

Annie loves to relax on car journeys in the back of the car bought to accommodate her and folds her legs under her on the back seat. She lives on a diet of grains, barley and oats, as well as what she scavenges.

Mr Burns’ grain bill last year was an eye-watering £36,000 for the entire herd. The Alpaca Trekking Centre remains a big hit with visitors.

Mr Burns said: “Business is booming, people are coming round on a daily basis. They’re wonderful animals.”