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!
