For rescuers who uncover an abandoned animal, sometimes it can be difficult for them to assess what happened to the poor creature. The only thing they know for sure is that the animal needs help. In the case of an Australian fallow deer named Rudie, a group of strangers found him a few days after his birth. They realized that one of his legs was missing. More than TLC was needed for this little guy, so they rushed him to the veterinarian.
What To Do
Encountering a wild, abandoned animal isn't something most people enjoy. Animals are living, breathing creatures that deserve to exist on this Earth. For people to harm them is outright egregious. But on the other hand, if an animal is left by their pack or family for some reason, that isn't something that people can't control either.
When rescuers find a stray or abandoned animal, it might be difficult to assess the situation initially. This makes helping them a bit challenging at first.
Say Hello To Rudie
In Australia, a fallow deer named Rudie was born, and two days later found in a heartbreaking condition. Thank goodness it was only a two-day period before rescuers discovered the helpless young deer.
The group of strangers found Rudie with a horrible problem; he was missing one of his legs! It was partially severed in an accident and like any decent humans, they knew right away that Rudie needed some type of assistance. They weren't just going to leave the poor baby there.
Keeping The Faith Alive
Naturally, this seemed like a dire situation. When anyone finds any type of creature missing one of its extremities, they might fear the worst and hope for the best. The rescuers knew they had to help Rudie.
Rudie was in extreme pain, so they rushed him to the closest animal hospital in hopes of a veterinarian performing a miracle on the animal. They had the right idea but feared they might have been too late...
What Happened?
When you find an animal in a severe condition like this, one of the first questions you ask is what happened? Since it was only two days after he was born, it could have been a birth defect. Rudie could have also been struck by a car.
There were many things that could have happened to the young deer. Unfortunately, the strangers couldn't say what exactly happened to him. All they knew was that he was in dire need of help.
A Successful Surgery
The grass was greener for young Rudie after all. Despite the horrible condition he was in, he had a successful surgery. The veterinarian was able to operate on the severed leg and completely amputate the remainder of it!
Even though it meant he was going to live the rest of his life with a disability, it was a win for the little guy. Everyone was happy that he had a chance to live, with or without that fourth leg.
A New Home
Rewind the story for a moment and remember where little Rudie's origin story began. He was found by a group of strangers, abandoned on the side of the road with a badly injured leg. That meant he didn't have a real family anymore.
The veterinary staff realized that he would need to have a place to call his own. They couldn't release him back to the wild due to his new condition and a lack of parental care.
A Newcomer
It would be hard for anybody to pass up taking care of Rudie after hearing and seeing what he'd been through. Unfortunately, not everyone is equipped or knows how to care for a young deer. But then, just moments later, someone stepped up to the plate.
A veterinary who assisted with Rudie's procedure, and an animal lover herself, elected to be the one to tend to the precious little animal. She wanted to give Rudie a forever home.
Tough Transition
Naturally, a wild animal like a deer isn't supposed to be living in a home or anywhere outside of its natural habitat. That's just not how nature works. This was a special case, however. At first, the transition for tough for Rudie.
Rudie was so young, but the veterinary technician did all in her power to make things comfortable for him. Since Rudie had such a hard start from the beginning of his life, she was dedicated to improving it from there on out.
Slowly But Surely...
With a little love and care, a lot of miracles can happen. Short by one leg, Rudie's life had changed forever, but the technician's persistence was extremely helpful. Rudie had a certain eagerness about him as well that helped him to thrive in the new habitat.
Sometimes you can pick up on certain traits from animals. For Rudie, a characteristic that people noticed was that he had a lot of fight in him. That and he was adorable!
Learning The Three Limbs
Evolution didn't intend on Rudie to live his life with only three limbs, but that didn't stop him. Since he was practically born that way, he began to learn how to operate with just three legs sooner rather than later.
Rudie was walking around the backyard like he owned the place and eating meals regularly. He was such a trooper that he fit in with the other animals very easily as well. The technician was so proud of this!
Forming A Bond
Just like with humans, some animals tend to hit it off faster with others and create bonds better than they would with another animal. For Rudie, he was very fond of the technician's dog.
The dog and Rudie would lounge around in the backyard together for hours on end. They would lie in the sun like they were trying to get nice tans for the summer. It looked like the decision to move Rudie in with this family was a great idea...
Gentle And Kind
When you're nice, you tend to get along with others better. People and animals both prefer others who are caring and endearing. The technician believed that Rudie's sweet demeanor is what led to him blending in with the other animals so well.
She's saved dozens of other animals before so she knew it could be challenging sometimes for them. Not for Rudie, though. It was like he was meant to be there and fit right in like a glove.
Making It Official
Adoption was the next step of the process so that she could become the official owner of Rudie. Once she adopted the little guy, she went ahead and made him his own Instagram. This was to share his new adventures.
She showed just how well he was living in his new forever home. She even took it another level higher when she brought in one more deer who was almost the same age as little Rudie.
Becoming Other's Peace
Remember how we said earlier that people love to be around other nice people? Well, that definitely applies to animals! Some schools even bring in dogs during finals week to let the students pet them in hopes of relieving stress.
Rudie was such a joy to be around that his new mother brought him to local nursing homes. Rudie would spend time with and bring pleasure to the people who lived there. This lady was certainly very happy to see Rudie!
A Successful Page
What do you think the response was to Rudie's Instagram profile was after it was created? Well, it was nothing but a success! Since its launch, the page has gathered thousands of followers just to brighten their days. Who wouldn't want to see this cute little guy on their social feeds?
Even this picture of him mingling with one of the other adoptive animals is priceless. Who knew a three-legged deer could bring so much happiness to our lives?
Another Side To Rudie
Some are naturally charming and then others can add another level to their personality and become silly! That's something Rudie was exceptionally well at doing. All you have to do is see this picture of him in his Halloween costume to get a sense for his humor.
Even dressed as a terrifying creature (a hammerhead shark), he still manages to be the cutest thing around. It's almost impossible not to fall in love with Rudie the deer. We feel sorry for all the other cute animals who have lost some attention due to this guy.
Give Him All The Love
PDA (public display of affection) was something Rudie didn't shy away from. He actually seemingly became more photogenic in moments like that. It was like the love gave him energy and he wanted to show that he appreciated it.
Unlike humans who might become embarrassed or shy when their mothers try and show them affection in front of others, Rudie was the complete opposite. This picture here is the proof of that. What isn't there to like about this deer!
The Child In Him
In a way, it was like Rudie acts like the most adorable child you've ever met. You know, the one that runs around and makes cute faces and whenever you interact with them they make you smile? That was Rudie, but in deer form.
Just take a gander at this picture of Rudie with his good dog friend. Rudie is winking at us! Have you ever known a deer to wink while taking a picture?
Getting In The Spirit
Is that one of Santa's reindeer? No, it can't be! It's just good ol' Rudie posing with a Christmas hat on his head. He really enjoyed getting into the spirit of Christmas. This might be the shyest he's looked in any photo he's taken.
He was very happy to dress up in his favorite Santa hat whenever the occasion came around. It was like he was auditioning to fly around with the sleigh full of toys.
A Unique One
Rudie is one of the most special and unique animals the technician had ever adopted and rescued. He didn't let his hardships get in his way of living his fullest life. He was just like every other deer out there, just with three legs instead of four.
He has a strong will to survive and wants to live a happy life. He is braver and stronger than you could imagine. Just look at him gallop with the others!
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.
