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I'm a children's author. Animals are a constant source of writing material for me. They are also my heart!

One of My Animal Stories!

>> Wednesday, November 11, 2009

As a writer, I've written a lot of stories about all kinds of animals. Last night I was looking through my files and came upon the one I'm going to share with you. I've changed a few of the words since it's already been published. As animal lovers, I hope you enjoy it. If you live anywhere near Ohio, you probably know the story already!
The Cow That Got Away!

Freedom is smarter that your average cow. She knew better than to hang around the slaughterhouse and await her fate! On February 15, 2002 she made her dash for freedom. Her escape is worthy of a book or at least a story!

It all began when the light-colored bovine taken for slaughter escaped. At age seven, she must have decided she needed to live longer. Could hamburger have been on her mind when she jumped a six-foot fence? It's hard to know what cows think. Whatever was on her mind made her run.

The escaped cow hid out for days. The townspeople were fascinated. They joked about her on the radio. TV stations set up "Cow Cams." For over a week the people of the city watched. They waited. Most people did not want the animal to be killed. They wanted her to have a happy life.
Offers poured in from everywhere. The former owner of the town's baseball team offered to give the beloved cow a home. A fast food restaurant offered 100 free chicken sandwiches for her safe return.

The police knew the cow was hiding in a park. They thought she was in thick underbrush and were worried she would get into the street and be hit by a car. The city closed the park to people. Joggers couldn't jog. Dogs couldn't be walked. Twelve days had passed and the cow needed to be captured.

City officials came up with a plan. They trucked in four other cows. They put the cows in an area where they thought the escapee was hidden. A fence was put up. Water and food was put inside the fence. It looked like a cow party at the park! Finally the cow was flushed out. She joined the cow party long enough to be shot by a tranquilizer gun. Most cows would have dropped. Most cows would have given up. Not this determined bovine. She ran some more!
The runaway cow ended up in a backyard. City officials shot her one more time. This time the sleepy cow fell down. Officials were able to load the drowsy cow onto a trailer. At times she was calm. At other times she butted her head against the trailer. She wanted her freedom back!

Some people who captured the cow called her belligerent. Others called her cantankerous. Most just called her brave. No one wanted this special cow to become meat. Everyone wanted a happy ending for this feisty female.

That's what they got. The cow girl was moved to the Farm Sanctuary in New York. Now she lives in a place like Disney Land for cows. It's also where she got her name -- Freedom. It's a name she deserved and certainly earned!
 
 
 

12 comments:

The Adventures of the LLB Gang November 11, 2009 at 11:04 AM  

What a great story...I love happy endings!!!

You GO Freedom!!!

Jan Mader November 11, 2009 at 11:28 AM  

Me too! Rereading this story made me wonder how Freedom is doing...I need to find out!

Maxmom November 11, 2009 at 11:42 AM  

Thank you Jan for bringing a smile to my day...it is a beautiful story!
MAXDOG IN SA

Unknown November 11, 2009 at 2:33 PM  

Terrific story!

Two French Bulldogs November 11, 2009 at 6:08 PM  

Happy stories are good
Benny & Lily

SANDY November 11, 2009 at 7:14 PM  

People never have camera's at the right moment. A cow jumping a fence, now that would have been a picture for sure.

I can see the book cover at we speak, remember the old children's book, a cow jumped over the moon?

sandy

Oskar November 11, 2009 at 7:21 PM  

What a happy story about Freedom, thanks for sharing!

2cats November 11, 2009 at 8:02 PM  

A very good story for Veteran's Day. The price of Freedom was steep.

Lillian Robinson November 11, 2009 at 8:10 PM  

I remember when that happened! Yes, there were daily cow sightings... So much publicity... He couldn't take her to market. I love happy endings!

Tweedles -- that's me November 11, 2009 at 10:53 PM  

This is such a wonderful story.
That little cow touched many lives with her determination, and to not give up until caught!
It all turned out so happy for her, which makes us very happy.
Thank you for sharing this story- we never heard it before and we are so glad we know the story now
xoxox

Oklahoma Granny November 12, 2009 at 9:01 AM  

Because of your love for animals I am passing along a "Heartfelt Award" to you. Please see my blog today

http://okgranny.blogspot.com

and have a blessed day.

Maria November 26, 2009 at 3:11 AM  

This is an amazing post Jan! In India where I live, cows are considered sacred. The cow is like an embodiment of God for Hindus, as she personifies motherhood. To kill a cow is considered to be the most heinous of crimes. Although Christian, I do appreciate the sentiment. Many cows are turned loose during the day by their owners to look for food. Many evenings, when I'm throwing out left overs for the stray dogs, I see a hopeful cow standing at the gate......

Thank you for pointing my way here Jan! I really have to visit here more often!

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