If you love to read animal accounts of rescue - Laura Simpson often
posts them on Care2. This one involves a poor bull calf stuck in
mud and found near his dead mother.
On this day, photographer Sam Beam and his friend Josh Brinkin were
out testing an iPhone helmet cam mount in a remote area outside of
Albuquerque, New Mexico. They were surprised at seeing some ravens
and vultures near a known watering hole and rode in for a closer look.
The site jolted them when they spied a bull calf struggling in mud
next to the body of his dead mother. She had probably been dead for
days, and this poor little calf was completely abandoned to a like
fate had not these two men come upon him in the nick of time.
Even though this little calf's mouth, eyes and ears were shut from
his days of struggling, mercifully, the birds never touched him.
The men pulled the calf from the mud and realized they had to act
quickly in order to save him. When they returned with him to the
truck, they called animal control. But now it was evident that the
calf was going into shock. He was shaking uncontrolably and was
having difficulty breathing. They gave him some water which he
readily drank before he lost consciousness. The enterprisng men
then built a fire and took turns warming their coats over the fire
and wrapping him with them. After a half hour or so, it was evident
that the calf was responding well to this much needed warmth.
Shortly thereafter, animal control arrived and took the calf straight
to a local veterinarian where he would spend a few days in recovery.
At this site is a video of this rescue and the pictures of these two
now equally muddy men carrying the muddy calf to their truck. I'm
sure it was a job for them to get cleaned up as well as wash down their
truck, but I am equally sure that they considered the work and time
involved well worth the life of this small bull calf.
Sam was happy to find out later that the calf was eating well and was
on the road to recovery.
This story of rescue was especially sweet for me to read because this
past week in Cleveland-a man so utterly devoid o f compassion and so
unlike these two wonderful caring men - tied 3 innocent dogs to a railroad
track. Another man witnessing this cruelty from afar was not able to
rescue the three dogs before the train came. Two dogs were killed
outright while one was able to crouch low enough to escape death. This
lucky dog will soon f ind a loving home because calls have been coming in
to adopt him.
As for "Ferdinand" now living with Becky Koster, a retired Bernalillo
County sheriff on a 65-acre farm -he is living a life of contentment
while grazing on the ranch he now calls home.
Of him Sam noted "Ferdinand is such a sweet animal, very special and not
just because I was a part of his rescue...I have seen this animal make
actual change in a few different people's lives. He does remember both
Josh and me quite well. He greets us much like a dog would on our visits.
He's such a treasure." (I could say the same about you and Josh.)
Ferdinand's rescue took on a greater significance as he became the
inspiration behind the creation of the Pro-active Enforcement Team (P.E.T)
in Bernalillo County. Their aim is to stop animal cruelty and prosecute
offenders. Ferdinand is the official mascot for PET.
I think we need a Pro-active Enforcement Team in Cleveland as well- to catch
and punish perpetrators like the one who commited the heinous crime of
tying 3 innocent and helpless dogs to railroad tracks. Sadly, Cleveland is
not the only place which needs such a caring group. Every city in every state
could well use the same type of organization, because animal cruelty is found
everywhere.
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