What’s a baby animal to do when it’s been rejected by its family? Well, that’s exactly the situation that one baby cow found itself in. A baby cow had been rejected by its herd and was off on its own. However, without a family to care for him, his life was in dangerous. However, things took quite an unexpected turn when some dogs decided to intervene.
20. Cows
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Cows are herd animals, meaning that they live in a group together. Living in a herd has proven to reduce stress levels among cows and cows will naturally watch over others in their own herd. That is why a cow herd is so important to cows.
19. Rare Occurrence
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That’s why it is such a rare occurrence to see a cow out on its own. Anytime a cow goes off on its own, you can bet that its herd is not too far away. However, once in a while, a herd does reject its own members.
18. Rejected
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One baby calf found himself in a terrible predicament when his herd rejected him! Sometimes, a herd will just choose to reject a calf. Although it is a rare occurrence it does happen and it is a very upsetting situation.
17. All Alone
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Unfortunately for this baby calf, he was immediately rejected by his family and left to wander on his own. He was alone and scared with no one to care for him. However, just as things were looking dire, the situation quickly changed!
16. Cattle Owners
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Adam, 33, and Emily Hopson, 32, are the owners of the cattle on their farm in Asheville, North Carolina. The farm has been a part of Emily’s family since the 18th century. The couple introduced cattle on their farm just a few years ago when they became full-time farmers.
15. Farmers
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“In 2014 Adam had lost his job. We were contemplating and praying about what he should do next,” Emily explained. “We were trying to eat only organic, non GMO and humanely raised food but with Adam out of work we were having a hard time buying that type of food, so we decided to become more self sufficient.”
14. Raising Cattle
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So the couple decided to begin raising cattle on their farm. “Adam went from being scared of cows because he had never been around them to being a full time farmer,” Emily said. That’s how the couple came across the abandoned baby calf.
13. Little James
The calf, who they’ve since named James, was discovered by the couple out in the woods. When the couple first discovered James, he was in terrible shape. Emily couldn’t believe how bad it was!
12. Bad Shape
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When Emily first found James, he was incredibly large for a calf. They also believed that he was brain damaged from being oxygen deprived at birth, which is called ‘dummy calf syndrome’. The poor calf couldn’t latch onto his mother to feed either, so Emily knew that she had to intervene.
11. Taking Care
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Since James could not survive with his herd and had been neglected, Emily knew that she had to take over. She brought the calf into their home and began to care for James around-the-clock along with her husband. But, it wasn’t just them caring for James.
10. The Dogs
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Emily and Adam’s family of dogs instantly fell in love with James. They could see that the poor calf was without any family to care for him. So they began to step in and provide him with some much needed love!
9. Cuddly Pair
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James and the dogs instantly fell in love! Baby James loves to cuddle up with the dogs and snuggle up in their beds. He is always nearby to the dogs and the dogs love to play around with him as well!
8. Sweet Baby
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“He is the sweetest creature,” Emily said. “He loves to lick us and the dogs. And to just lay beside us and be scratched and petted. He gets a little rambunctious around feeding time and will buck you wanting food or nibble your hands, ears, or elbow trying to get milk.”
7. Two Weeks
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Little James lived in the house with the Hopson’s for two weeks. Eventually, he continued to grow and grow. Soon, he was too big to be inside of the house! So the Hopson’s had to think of a new approach!
6. Getting Big
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“He tried to play with the dogs but he is getting so large that his headbutting which was cute as a baby but was getting too rough for them and they won’t play with him as much as they used to.” So what were the Hopson’s to do?!
5. Fenced Area
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Adam and Emily decided that they would build a fenced off area in their backyard for James to stay in. This way, they could keep James close by and he wouldn’t feel too alone or secluded. They couldn’t bring James back to his family as the cattle still wouldn’t accept him.
4. Unaccepted
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“Most of the other babies who had been raised by their mother wanted nothing to do with James because they knew he wasn’t normal. They would either bully him or ignore him. So we bought two more orphan babies to keep him company,” Emily explained.
3. Good Friends
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Since the other cows had also been orphaned, they have become best pals with James. “Since they are orphans they are the perfect buddies for James,” Emily stated. James is now continuing to live out his best life!
2. Doggy Behavior
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Since James had been raised around dogs for a while, he has even taken on some doggy behavior from time to time. He loves to lick faces and he also loves to run around and have a lot of fun. James is so grateful to have been loved and rescued by the Hopson’s and their dogs.
1. Joyful Cow
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James is living his absolute best life on the Hopson’s farm. Along with his other cow buddies, the Hopson’s, and the dogs, James never has to feel alone or abandoned again! This little calf truly got a miraculous turnaround in life.