Although Becky Bartel was willing to allow Bonnie to stay on her property with the deer, she was apprehensive about the situation as she believed that her neighbors posed a potential threat.
In Holland, New York, a young calf managed to escape from a slaughterhouse and fled into the nearby forest. Despite numerous attempts, the cow remained at large, with various individuals searching for her. While some were genuinely worried about the animal’s welfare, others saw the opportunity to hunt her for her meat. Although sightings of the cow were reported, no one succeeded in capturing her.
Bonnie, the calf, was raised on a farm that bred cattle for eventual slaughter.
After the farm owner’s passing, the owner’s family chose to sell their cattle to another facility.
During the commotion of loading the other cows, Bonnie managed to slip away and flee to a nearby forest undetected.
It was the winter season. Bonnie made her escape during the wintertime, and the forest was covered in approximately three feet of snow, which made searching for her incredibly difficult.
Ultimately, the search was abandoned, especially given the difficulty of locating her.
After wandering, Bonnie encountered her clan, which included a group of deer that accepted her as one of their own.
They journeyed together through the forest, providing for each other.
Simultaneously, numerous trail cameras were scattered throughout the woods to capture images of the roaming deer, installed by Becky Bartels.
As fate would have it, the land that Bonnie stumbled upon and now calls home with her deer family is owned by Becky.
As she looked at the pictures stored on the camera’s memory card, she was surprised to see a cow coexisting with the deer.
The cow’s name was Bonnie. It was logical for them to live together since cows and deer are both social animals.
Bonnie was fortunate to have been taken in by the deer herd when she lost her own, especially during the winter months.
Becky resolved to do her best to ensure that the cow had enough food to eat.
Daily, she visited the location where Bonnie resided, providing her with food and bedding.
Although Bonnie consumed the food, she remained cautious and frightened of this person.
However, due to the consistency of her actions, Bonnie began to trust Becky and approached her confidently, requesting treats.
Becky was aware that this situation could not continue indefinitely.
Becky’s neighbors had already issued a warning to shoot Bonnie if she trespassed onto their land.
To safeguard Bonnie, Becky contacted Farm Sanctuary, an animal refuge situated in Watkins Glen, New York.
Under the direction of Susie Coston, the Farm Sanctuary National Director, they formulated a strategy to seize Bonnie and transport her to their facility.
The process wouldn’t be simple, however, since Bonnie was cautious around people, making it difficult to approach her.
Fortunately, Becky was available and willing to take the necessary actions to relocate Bonnie to a secure location.
Following a discussion with the Farm Sanctuary veterinarian, they resolved to administer a sedative to Bonnie to aid in transferring her to the vehicle.
They planned to include the sedative in her food, which Becky would offer to her.
Despite this, Bonnie remained distrustful of humans.
Regrettably, whenever Bonnie caught sight of a human, she would immediately flee.
They resolved to block off and restrict access to the region where Bonnie would come to eat.
Proper Dosage
Initially, the dose of the sedative was insufficient, and Bonnie continued to kick and walk.
Subsequently, they administered a more potent dose the following day, which resulted in the desired effect.
The personnel at Farm Sanctuary successfully transported Bonnie to their facility, where she has been living a secure and comfortable life in the company of other cows.
Becky’s compassionate nature was instrumental in this outcome.
Observe Bonnie’s progress in the video provided below!
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