A Calf Named Scout

Five months ago, we received an email from a person named 'Scout' asking if we could take in a one week old Jersey bull calf that she was desperately trying to save. The calf was born at a Dairy, and since they had no use for this male calf, his time was quickly running out and would soon be sold, likely for veal. Scout said she had reached out to approximately twenty different sanctuaries and rescues, but was told they were all at capacity, and we were his last chance. We already had several cows here ourselves, but after a sleepless night thinking about the baby calf and how he had run out of options, we couldn't say no....so we said YES!

There were many emails back and forth with Scout for several days, coordinating the arrival of the calf. Then we received a call from someone introducing themselves as  ‘Scout’s mom’ thanking us for agreeing to take in the calf and that we have made her daughter very happy. It turns out Scout just turned 13 years old and she used her birthday money to help secure the calf. I never would have guessed her young age from her emails that were filled with so much empathy and determination! Her mom explained that Scout is passionate about animals and had worked tirelessly on her own to try and save the calf, never giving up in her effort to find it a safe home. SAVED! A great example of perseverance and hope! We have named the calf ‘Scout’ in her honor.

We spent the first several months bottle feeding Scout four times a day, and he was so small when he arrived that he slept under heat lamps and wore a (very fashionable) dog jacket to keep warm during chilly nights. He's been treated with nothing but love and kindness by everyone here at the sanctuary and as a result he's very trusting and seeks out human companionship. We have since introduced him to our adult Jersey cows Sophie and Regina, and it's a match made in heaven! Today, it's clear that little Scout finally has the mother he never experienced, and Sophie and Regina have a baby to raise and love, as if he was their own. It's a very happy ending and an example of how compassion can dramatically change lives, creating a much kinder world for all.