Many people only recognize cows as the black and white animals who provide us with milk and meat. They make a "moo" noise and eat grass all day. A cow is nothing more than a barnyard animal to most, but recently one of these bovines has started to change that narrative.
A calf born just outside of Houston days after a catastrophe wasn't supposed to survive. Everything around her was a wreck, but she found one of the most surprising ways to survive the damage.
A Fulshear, Texas Couple Was Caught In Hurricane Harvey
In August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the lives of many individuals living in Louisiana, Belize, Nicaragua, Texas, and many more places. City streets and country pastures became flooded in the process and folks like Tammy Canton and her husband were in a bad predicament.
Canton and her husband were just one of the thousands who had to figure out how to survive this disaster. For them, however, they faced a slightly different situation on top of the hurricane...
The Cantons Still Opened Their House Up As A Shelter
The Cantons provided a safe haven for two additional families and eight more dogs! Imagine all that commotion going on in your household. Space was tight for them over in Fulshear, Texas.
Then, out of the blue, Tammy's husband saw something that would make things a little harder for everyone and take up more space. What exactly did he spot? In a hurricane, there is no telling what could pop up, so prepare yourself for this shock...
Their Shelter Grew By One Unexpectedly
If you were in this situation, what would be the last thing you expect? Well, one of the family's pet cows had given birth unexpectedly right after the storm passed.
"My husband noticed she [the calf] was standing in water not nursing from her mom," Tammy explained. Usually, the mother cow nurtures the calf after delivering it so for the calf not to be nursing from the mother that sends immediate red flags. Something else was going on...
A Weak Calf
"The water was extremely cold," Tammy added, “and the pasture was holding quite a bit of water.” Have you ever seen a stray dog in the rain? Well, imagine that times ten with this poor little calf.
Tammy also noted that the calf was "weak and shivering from the cold rain." What could the couple do about this? One thing is certain, they couldn't just stand around and let the little animal suffer out in the cold!
Acting Fast...
Baby animals can't survive long on their own and that's just a proven fact. The weather was bad and the conditions were even worse, so this calf could only last so long with no support. The clock was ticking.
Tammy knew all of this and was aware that she and her husband had to take action. Even with the house already filled with people and dogs, they decided to play hero again for the sake of the calf.
Help Is On The Way
Like the good Samaritans they are, Tammy and her husband braved the flooded pasture en route to the young cow! We don't know how many others would have the strength to do this.
When Tammy arrived at the calf, she saw how bad of condition she was in. She was super weak and could barely stand all while violently shivering from the cold. "She seemed too far gone for me to help her," Tammy said.
Her Name Is Harveigh
Tammy and the family decided on naming the little calf Harveigh. Due to her being so young, she had not developed a strong enough immune system that could battle that kind of weather. Also, with no help from her mother, things would be tough.
That's why a veterinarian suggested that Tammy needs to keep Harveigh inside as she regained her strength. Harveigh needed a space of her own so Tammy decided to place her in the laundry room.
Road To Recovery
Weeks passed by since the rescue of little Harveigh and things were starting to look brighter for the young cow. She was resting on a dog bed and eating hand-fed formula during this time.
As the days passed by, Harveigh got stronger and stronger so Tammy and the family hoped she would be able to go back to the pasture soon. Surprisingly, Harveigh was able to make some unexpected and much-needed friends during her recovery phase...
Doggo Love
Contrary to popular belief, pit bulls are really a ball of joy. One night, the family pit bull named Sealy decided to start licking Harveigh and the calf perked up with joy almost instantly.
"All of the dogs seemed to love her right away," Tammy said. What anyone didn't know is that this was only the beginning of something special and unexpected. What do you think could have possibly happened next between Harveigh and the rest of the family?...
A New Friendship
Just like that, the start of beautiful relationships blossomed right before everyone's eyes. It was almost like something out of a children's storybook, but we aren't complaining! Harveigh started to heal from her past ordeal and quickly began to love her new environment.
Harveigh started adopting the behavior of her new found friends! She swiftly became one of the dogs as she played with them every day and night. Who would have seen this coming??
Animal Kingdom Friendship
The good news is that the feelings were mutual! This is seriously a Disney novel in the making due to the dynamics. Can you even imagine a pit bull bonding effortlessly with a calf?
"Sealy loves to spend her time playing, cleaning, and protecting baby Harveigh. These two have such a special bond," Tammy wrote on her Facebook. The only word to describe this relationship is special. We know Tammy was enjoying every second of this...
Special Accommodations
Everyone knows a regular home isn't equipped to house a cow. The little calf that got along with the pit bull eventually grew to over 400 pounds. She was soon a handful and Tammy needed to figure something out.
Harveigh grew so big that she couldn't even fit in the laundry room anymore! As a result, she needed a place to crash. What do you think Tammy and her husband decided to do next with Harveigh?
Cow Issues
If an animal starts to live inside for too long then only one thing can happen. Said animal will get used to the luxuries and not like going back outside. That's what happened with Harveigh.
After a while, she wouldn't even graze the pasture with any of the other six cows. Whenever Tammy and her husband would bring her out to the barn, she eventually showed back up at the door, mooing to come back in.
Welcome To The Cow Condo
Tammy and her husband did whatever any loving caregiver would do. They came up with a way to accommodate Harveigh without compromising her happiness too much. The result was something they constructed called the "cow condo."
They used the shed in the backyard to make a personal house for her! She had a personal space heater in there for crying out loud! She was living the life in this half-way home between barn life and the house.
Not Liking The New Place
Even with Tammy dedicating Harveigh with her a space to call her own, that wasn't enough for her. In only the first night in the condo, she left it and chose to sleep outside by the main house's door.
Why didn't she want to stay inside the condo? Harveigh ended up staying in her personal home as little as possible and elected to play with the dogs and everyone in the family. That secluded life just wasn't for her...
Things Eventually Change...
As more time passed, Harveigh started to grow even larger, as cows do. Her new size became something of a burden as she became a danger to the friends around her.
Harveigh used to be able to hang around the other animals and people without anyone watching, but she soon would need a chaperone. Her size alone could've hurt the dogs if they were roughhousing too much. No one wants to see a hurt doggo!
Making A Cow
As you've followed the story, you've learned that Harveigh didn't have the traditional upbringing a cow has. Due to this, Tammy had to take measures into her own hands and try to convert Harveigh back into a regular cow.
She had different steps in her process but one thing she always did was take her out to the barn for quick visits. Those visits resulted in mixed results so Tammy's efforts were almost a waste...
The Transition
"We are slowly introducing her," Tammy said. “It's so hard not to go and just get her out. If she wants to learn how to 'cow,’ she will need to spend time with them.”
This sounds like a classic case of trying to turn a house dog into an outside dog. For one, it isn't easy for both human and dog. Secondly, it takes longer for the animal to grasp the concept, but with Harveigh seeing the other cows outside, that probably helped a little more.
The Sneaky Cow
Maybe you've had a pet or known one that figured out the secret. The secret we're referring to is opening up the door with no help! Harveigh learned how to get in through the back door on her own.
Whenever she grew weary of cow stuff she would just make herself at home, but there were still rules involved. "I don't let her free roam in the house," Tammy said. “Just quick visits to come in and say hi to our dogs.”
Happy Harveigh
Yes, Harveigh had to shed most of her dog habits in order to adapt to the cow life, but Tammy couldn't help herself from bringing her in for some pampering every now and then. She even gave her a dog treat on occasion.
"It fills my heart with joy being able to spend so much sweet time with her," Tammy explained. “She will literally lay her head on my lap and be at peace.” What an epic story.
Miraculous Rescues During Hurricane Harvey
During the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, many people showed their true caring nature and banded together to help in any way they could. Here are some of their stories.
Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack was traveling to Austin from Victoria, Texas when he found a dog wandering around near a gas station. Jayjack stopped for gas and didn't think anything of it until the dog started following him down the road. When Jayjack jumped into his jeep, so did the pup. Jayjack decided to take the dog with him and tweeted, "Found gas but picked up dog that jumped into jeep. Runge TX…please help find owner." This was accompanied with a video of the dog. But where were his new friend's owners?
The Power Of Social Media Reunites The Dog With His Owner
Jayjack tried and failed to have the dog scanned for a chip. He pleaded with social media, again and again, asking for help finding the owner. Jayjack couldn't keep the dog, which he had named Harvey in the meantime, and feared his owners would never be found.
After Jayjack's post went viral, he found a lead. He headed back to Runge, TX to take the lost dog back to his owners. The pup, whose real name was Cash, was so excited to see his owner he tried to climb out of the window in Jayjack's jeep. And thus is the power of Twitter.
They Saved a Tortoise, too!
After Jayjack found Cash's owner, he started combing the Texas flood waters for stranded pets. Hurricane Harvey had a huge impact on pets, who were displaced when their owners left and their homes were destroyed; however, this tortoise appears to be in pretty good spirits.
Jayjack lifted the little guy onto his boat and brought him to higher ground. During Jackjack's rescue efforts, he managed to help save a pony, a longhorn cow, a goat, some dogs and cats, and this little tortoise (who certainly looks confused, but who wouldn't be?).
Family Refuses To Leave Without Pet Pig
Flood waters rose faster than Lisa Eicher and her family could predict. They relocated their pig Penny to the garage because her pen was flooding. When they awoke, they found flood waters had risen even more. The whole family needed to get out fast, but there was one problem – Penny was trapped. Eicher couldn't open the garage doors without power, which was completely cut off. Penny was stuck in the garage until one of them went outside to manually unlock the door.
Once Penny was safe, they still weren't in the clear. This was just the beginning of a valiant rescue effort.
Firefighters Swam Penny To Safety Through Deep, Raging Flood Water
When firefighters finally arrived at the Eicher's, they yelled, "We have to get out now!" Lisa refused without the pig, which they had raised since she was an 8-week-old piglet.
"We've got two kids with Down syndrome, a three-legged dog, and a pig — all of whom will be freaked out," she told the firefighters. Eicher woke up her kids, and the firefighters ferried them to a raft. Penny needed a different arrangement. They swam Penny out to a truck, and when she safely arrived the family dog was there to greet her.
More Kind People Helped Penny's Family
Firefighters saved the Eicher family and their pets, then dropped them off at a gas station to wait out the storm, but the kindness didn't stop there.
"The kids and I sat in the only spot safe from rain in front of the gas station and waited," Eicher wrote. "The attendant came out and brought us all sandwiches. A sweet man insisted I take twenty dollars to buy something for the kids. And a homeless couple brought us blankets. Wanting nothing in return. Countless people stopped to check on us and offer help."
Animal Rescuer Refused To Leave Her 20 Dogs
Betty Walter, a 44-year-old animal rescuer, refused to leave her dogs when evacuations started. Her brood consisted of pets from friends and family, four of her own dogs and fosters. Though a rescue boat did come to rescue Walter earlier on, it only had enough room for humans, so she politely declined the help.
Instead, she and her 20 dogs climbed to the attic of her one-bedroom home where they were stranded for 14 hours as flood waters rose. "I was not going to leave the dogs," Walter told Today. "These little pets were depending on me to take care of them."
Flood Water Was Rising And Walter And Her Dogs Were Still Stranded
Walter feared she'd be forgotten as the flood water got worse. She was worried her phone would die and she'd run out of food and clean drinking water. Walter put a message on social media asking to be rescued. "I was pleading not to be forgotten," she said. At 3 p.m. on Sunday, rescuer Buck Beasley went out on his flat-bottom boat to rescue a woman in Walter's neighborhood who had sensitive medical equipment.
When he arrived, she had already been saved, so he started searching for those in need. He met up with Jeremy Williams and Anthony Hernandez, two other good Samaritans looking to help. Walter had yet to be found.
Buck Beasley Became A Dog-Saving Hero
With an open boat, Beasley found a man stranded with his Doberman Pincher. He welcomed the man and his dog aboard. Around the corner, he found Walter who spoke to him through the window. She was afraid he'd be willing to save her, but not her furry friends. "I said it's OK, we'll load up [the dogs], too," he told Today.
He placed the dogs in his boat while the humans walked alongside. In some places, the water was so deep his feet barely touched the ground. When they reached dry land, they loaded the dogs into Beasley's truck and traveled 20 miles to his home. Beasley turned out to be a volunteer at the Bay Area Pet Adoptions. He and his wife had been rescuing and housing at-risk goats, dogs, and other animals since the flood started.
This Teenager And His Dad Rescued Stranded Cattle And Livestock
In the sudden flood evacuations that happened during Hurricane Harvey, there was no way people could save their livestock if they wanted to flee. This is where Chance Ward and his teenage son, Rowdy. stepped in. Ward set out in the flood water on horseback and worked with several other animal-loving companions to steer hundreds of cattle to higher ground.
The Wards also rescued four horses during their mission, and the video of Rowdy letting a panicked horse out of his cage went viral. It amassed over 8.9 million views since it was posted on Monday. "This is what we do, we help livestock. We try to help people," Ward wrote on Facebook.
This Pup Was Holding Onto The Bayou Rail When Her Rescuers Came
As wild flood waters trailed through Texas, this poor little pup was completely stranded. Her owners were nowhere to be found and she was terrified, clinging to the bayou rail as floodwaters threatened to wash her away. Thankfully, some good Samaritans in trash bag ponchos found the pup before it was too late.
They scooped the good girl from the flood waters and brought her to safety. In a Facebook post that's since gotten 53,000 shares, Jess Hernandez wrote "OMG. We saved her! She was holding on to the bayou rail!!!"
Rescuers Saved An Armadillo And Some Stranded Pups
Hurricanes don't just affect people – they affect all of the wildlife in the area. If you're in Texas, this includes Armadillos. In a video captured by PETA's crew, a lost armadillo was stuck on a small patch of land in a flooded Houston neighborhood. A rescuer scooped the little guy right up into a crate, and let him out on higher ground.
The Humane Society had been patrolling the area, saving dogs and cats that were left behind. In the same breath that little armadillo was saved, they rescued several cats. Some of the dogs they found were left in crates in their homes and others were wandering in rough currents.
Bandit The Dog Was Saved After Nearly Drowning In Raging Flood Waters
A group of men in Lumberton, Texas risked their lives to save a dog who was caught in raging flood waters in Lumberton, Texas. Bandit the dog was a victim of Hurricane Harvey and was moments from being washed away by flood waters. A group, consisting of mostly teenagers, came to the rescue.
The group lowered someone into the rapids with a rope. The individual waded out to Bandit and scooped him from the rough water. Though the ordeal was traumatic, Casey Fredrick, Bandit's owner, shared a video of the pup happily howling after being rescued.
This Hawk Was Taken In By A Cab Driver During The Storm
Sometimes you don't really want to save an animal, but it just decides it needs your help. That was the case for William Bruso, a Houston cab driver who had a curious incident with a hawk. Harvey the hawk flew into Bruso's cab to escape the storm. He tried to shoo it away, but it refused to leave.
The cabby decided that if the hawk wanted to stay in the car, it must really need some help. He took the bird into his home and took care of it through the storm. He's since placed the hawk with a licensed rehabilitator.
This Dog Owner Made His Pup A Boat From A Bucket
Kiwi was just too small to brave Hurricane Harvey's rising flood waters. The storm tore through Texas with winds at 130 miles per hour and just look at Kiwi – he's so small! Owner Manuel was not going to leave his little puppy behind, even if there wasn't enough room in their boat.
Instead, Manual made Kiwi a boat of his own out of a bucket. In a video posted to Instagram, Kiwi is seen bravely sailing the floods of Hurricane Harvey in his adorable red bucket. He's even wearing a pirate-themed t-shirt to boot.
Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Foundation Saved 72 Dogs
When Hurricane Harvey hit, thousands of families fled to shelters. Many of these families couldn't take their dogs, and so thousands of precious pups were left behind. Miranda Lambert couldn't leave these poor pups stranded and her charity, MuttNation, took on the task of rescuing them. The Houston-based foundation rescued an amazing 72 dogs, including one pregnant mama who gave birth to her pups as soon as she was safe. The charity showed off the new babies on Instagram.
"My roommates tonight sure are cute! Mama and newborns that were born this morning," they wrote, adding, "Rescued 72 dogs today who are being transported to dry safe shelters across the country. Thanks for yall's support. Stay tuned tomorrow and continue to pray."
People Help Rescue Bats
A group of helpful Houston residents rushed to a bat colony to save them from the rising water of Hurricane Harvey. Underneath the Waugh Bridge, there's a colony of about 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats. Residents noticed the animals were washing up near-dead as waters were rising. They were stuck.
As CBS reported, the good Samaritans worked together to scoop up the colony one-by-one, using pool nets to grab the bats in the surrounding water before it got high enough to drown them all. They placed the little critters in plastic containers and brought them to safety. The rescuers worked until it was too dark to continue, saving as many bats as they could.
People Formed A Human Chain To Save An Elderly Man
Roadways are extremely susceptible to flood waters. Many people who tried to escape Hurricane Harvey by car found themselves trapped as waters rose faster than they could drive out of. This was the case for an elderly man who got trapped in his minivan during the storm. A group of brave onlookers formed a human chain to pull him out of his car to safety.
Stephanie Edward Mata, who caught the incident on camera said once the man was pulled from the water, a nearby police officer took him to get checked out. "There was a cop nearby where they took him to get checked out as he was so cold," she told Mashable. "I really wish I knew what happened to him next."
This Pastor Checked Submerged Cars To Save Anyone Who May Have Been Stuck
An unnamed pastor shocked on-looker, Brian Roberson, when he was walking in waist-deep water towards an SUV submerged in the flood. The floods in Houston are extremely dangerous. Not only is the water completely contaminated, but the flood currents are fierce – completely capable of knocking a grown man off his feet.
This pastor took the risk because he was determined to make sure no one was stuck in their cars as the flood hit. "He wanted to get out there to make sure those cars were empty," Roberson told CBS News. "It was so powerful to see firsthand."
He Knocked On Windows One By One And Checked Inside
The pastor didn't just check one or two cars. He went down a line and knocked on every single window, looking inside to make sure no one was stranded. According to reports, the pastor even climbed on top of a black SUV that had a sun roof to get a better look. The man checked over five vehicles that were stranded in the middle of the freeway.
Onlookers report that pastor yelled, "I'm not coming back until I check them twice" when they begged him to come out of the water for his own safety. Since the current wasn't very strong at that point, he was able to walk away instead of being saved by the rope Brian Roberson was about to throw out to him. The pastor didn't give his name before he left but said he worked in the South Central Houston area and was just doing what he thought was right.
