Why I could NOT be a Vet............

[Medic24]

Simply put.... everytime I would see an animal that has been neglected or worse yet...abused intentionally or out of shear ignorance or stupidity, I would have to refrain from hurting some one. No doubt I would be arrested time and time again for assault on an idiot.

I have to start kicking myself every time I got to the sale barns and want to buy up all of these poor animals... why just today, I bought a cow.....yes a cow, that has had at least one calf, from the sale that was tiny, a mere 500 plus pounds. and although not emeciated... is on the skinny side for sure....who in the right mind would breed an animal so small and so young? I know it is not a miniature anything..it's head is way out of purportion...cant even guess what t is at the moment.

ok, I paid like 35 cents a pound for it..a grand total of 200 bucks.... and it will have a far better life here, I hope..starting with a period of time in our hospital barn.

Yes i am a fool for buying it, but a much lesser fool then the idiot who put it in this way. Just call me a sucker..
But this is why, I cannot be a vet........

To Vicky and all of the other vets out there....my hats off to you! :cboy:

 

[Beefy]

i was just telling someone the other day (on here i think) how i hate to see those little 450 pound cows come running through a sale. ive seen them on multiple occasions, the ones i see are always little black cows that have had more than one calf and are skinny and have shriveled up little white bags. they look almost like a dairy cross of some sort they are in such poor shape, dont really look like angus or holstein. i think they are just mongrels or inbreds or something but sometiems they will have a white star on their forehead so i guess they have some holstein in them somewhere..

 

[Bama]

Most of the ones I see in this condition are from a small place. Someone will buy a cow or 2 and put them on that spot behind the house they just fenced in so they wouldn't have to mow. After the grass is gone thay won't buy any hay and they end up in this shape.

 

[Susie David]

I know how you feel, that's why I try to avoid taking Susie to the sale, she's a sucker for the sorry ones and we end up with a full trailer on the way home. I expect it will be bad this year with the lack of rain and dry range...I hate to see the pair come through with the calf weighing almost as much as the dam...don't expect that thoes cows will ever get back in condition after a bad summer. Late and I'm rambling...dave Mc

 

[ottersbro]

last monday i went to a sale barn to buy a couple of feeder steers what i seen would make you sick.
they were selling holstein cull cows some of these animals were in such bad shape that it made angry to think anyone could treat any animal this way.
one cow sold for $22.00 another for $45.00, one laid on the ground outside of the corral bleeding from the nose and mouth,i thought about putting it out of its misery ( and the owner too) but fear jail kept me from doing the rigt thing.
medic i totally agree with you on this subject.

 

[Crowderfarms]

What you have to realize is, that there's people out there that can't feed and take care of themselves, but own livestock.A lot of States dont have tough enough laws with severe consequences for the owners.
There's some up the road from us that have about 15 head of inbred cattle, that look like hell. They graze broom sage and multi-flora roses. Everyone's afraid of the guy that owns them.One day I'll have to take some pictures from the road and post them. They have done the same thing to 3 horses.

 

[Medic24]

too bad we cant recipricate the same conditions of the cattle for the owners.......perhaps some foul water, a few grains of food every now and then........As much as I hate big brother goverment, i would not mind the animal control folks spending some time at these sales to see what comes in and trace em back to the original owners.

Keep in mind that 100 responsible producers aren't ever noticed by the public...but just 1 bad apple ruins it for everyone! :cboy:

 

[sidney411]

If people can't afford to take care of them selves they sure have no business owning animals of any kind. THese are the same people that probably have umteen jillion dogs that are skinny as heck ravaging the neighborhood just becaruse their hungry. It's not fair to the animals or the people tht have to deal with and look at the poor beasts. Crowder - could you report the guy?

I have also seen the poorest cattle in the barn, wondering who was balls enough to bring in such poor animals. I've seen cattle that you could see every bone in their bodies, their eyes are so sunk in, they can hardly walk. There should be some sort of punishment for someone neglecting an animal to the point they are starving so badly. It is so sad to see them there. Medic - I would have a hard time not decking the guy that offloaded those animals at the barn too.

 

[certherfbeef]

too bad we cant recipricate the same conditions of the cattle for the owners.......

I hear that there is a judge that heard a case from the Houston SPCA about starving cats and dogs. He was so upset with the condition of the animals, he sentenced the woman to jail time, 3 days of which all she got was bread and water. And the judge ordered that the pictures of the animals she starved to death be hung on the wall so she could look at them all day.

 

[Medic24]

Well, Cether,, I am glad to hear of at least one Judge doing something, but a woman looking at pics of her own creation.....bet it would not faze her a bit... she was seeing them in real time before. :cboy:

 

[preston39]

mwdic24,

You are probably correct. But, hopefully, she got enough time. Maybe the pictures took on a different meaning with the bars in view.LOL

 

[Susie David]

Every so often on the news the show a place where the animals are talen by the humane society and the owners charged...usually the place that is the basis for the redneck jokes, junked cars, trash in the yard and all sorts of critters running in and out of the house....we have some really remote folks living up in the woods that would scare the bears away just by the smell...left over from the hippy migration years ago now a new generation in the making. Anyway...I think that most everyone on the board shares the opinion that if you own it, take care of it...animals, house, kids, equipment and friends.
Still have to go find a tractor tire and have spent to much time
inside today already. DMc

 

[Rainbow Valley Cattle Co]

I think that most everyone on the board shares the opinion that if you own it, take care of it...animals, house, kids, equipment and friends.

Amen.

Had a neighbor in town whose beef cows were walking bone bags. It sickened me to see them.
It's not something kids-- or anyone else-- should see or they think its an acceptable practice to starve animals, so I made a few phone calls.
First to the local Board of Health since the enourmous amount of manure on the property was attracting hordes of rats, bugs seagulls by the hundreds and other health pests. There was a small pond of stagnant green slime water that was a hatchery for a zillion giant mosquitos and this was the cows only drinking water. When it rained the slime and manure would ooze out onto the road and cause a dangerous oil slick situation.
I called the state vet and the local animal inspector as the cows obviously had health issues that needed attention, and the irresponsible owner needed to be ordered to resolve them by a person in authority. The local humane society had recieved dozens of calls about this particular situation but had no cruelty investigator.
I called the local fire department as they inspect buildings for violations, fire hazards etc. They went there the very next day.

After all was said and done, the cows were shipped, the owner fined by several different departments for violations and he was ordered to resolve every issue on his property within 60 days. He hired a dozer to level off the property and tear down the falling down buildings. Social services were also called in by the town when they saw the condition of his house, his kids and his elderly parents. What started out as a livestock issue turned into an even bigger health crisis. A few phone calls improved the lives of the cattle as well as the humans living in an unhealthy environment.

In summary:

There are things that each one of us can do to resolve an unhealthy situation like this.

Just do not stand by and allow it to continue.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Alot of cattlemen or i should say men who own cattle dont understand the concept of controlled breeding. and you dont have to have money to be a good manager. alot of fellers around here decide well im going to keep this or that heifer for replacement and they stay in the herd with all the adults bull included. then wham. heifer bred 10-12 month or younger.after a few year of this .....well you seen it at the sale barn

 

[Chuckie]

Medic, I have to agree with you completely. Any kind of animal that is tied, or penned and cannot get to food or water eats at me. Once I see it, I can't get it out of my mind. I would take all animals away from anyone that put them in that condition. I would pass a law in my county, if I were a judge, that if you had any livestock that was not being treated humanely, you would be given $5.00 for the animal and it would be placed in better hands. And you don't get the animal back at any time. No second chances.

 

[memanpa]

all livestock going thru sales barns around here are inspected by the state, if they notice more than one cow,calf etc going thru that looks to be mistreated they investigate the seller, also anyone has the right to complain to the livestock board and they will follow up on that complaint!
the local sale barn also will refuse to sell cattle that look to be underfed and mistreated!
i had a cow that showed up on my place a couple of yrs ago that had one eye gone, (had been removed) hide weighed more than the cow finally got her in a seperate corral, called livestock control. put feed out for that old cow and when livestock inspection came out we could not find a brand! i had the option of having them take her for disposal or they would give me papers to keep her i opted for the later!
6 months later i took her to auction as an open cow and got .$45 cwt for her she looked that good on just a few bales of hay! figured she weighed maybe 500 when she showed up went on the scales at right at 900
getting of subject here sorry!

thing is there are LAWS against mistreatment of animals in most states and volations need to be reported, makes us all look bad!!!!! the sales barns need to step up as well and become more responsible one or two from a herd i can deal with (it happens) whole herd !!!! SHUT EM DOWN

 

[Medic24]

I do keep forgetting thought, that there is a small upside to this.........we are able to get some livestock pretty cheaply, that only need some TLC to make good ( not great) animals.

I would prefer it differently, but this is the only upside I can think of in this......even then you have to be very carefull, and you are still rolling the dice.

But we have lately been collecting a number of 'almost' weaned black calves ( ancestry unknown) that continue to come into this one local sale barn........seem to come from the same place over and over again.........pot bellies are the defining feature in these few month old calves. Go cheap......and we lay the milk and grain and vaccines to em..so far so good.

I swear I can almost hear them make a sigh of relief, and giggles of delight when they get here and see the buffet of food laid out for them. ;-)

 

[memanpa]

medic
there is always an upside to everything but the fact remains for every one you buy from these a@@holes and the salebarn accepts there are a lot more out there that are not as lucky!
i do not pretend to have the answer but there are not enough of folks like you and i that will buy em and feed em (fact is i don't buy many) heck lets just get a rope
tie em up and not feed em for a few weeks!

 

[Just_a_girl]

I've been watching a house several miles up the highway from where I live. I have to pass by that house on my way into town, and it's a disgusting mess. Trash piled all over the place, 4 horses in the front yard, and I don't know how many dogs and cats they have. Most of their trash is on the highway, sheet metal blown off their house and embedded in a tree on the highway.

I have gathered their horses off the highway, dodged puppies, and cats. I finally lost it when I found puppies dead on the highway. I wheeled my truck up to their house, told them that they had no business with animals, and also told them that I better not see those horses without food and water.

I've talked to the police, several vets and it seems like no one will do anything until they actually see the animal dead on the ground.

I did noticed that ever since my little visit that there has been hay for the horses. I don't know the quality of hay, but they are eating and I'm still watching.

Those people act completely innocent of any wrong doing. I'm not even sure why they have horses, they pay the horses no attention at all.

My family told me that I was going to get killed doing things like that....but I couldn't stand it any longer.

I turned someone in for starving a horse that I rescued, nothing happened. I refused to turn the horse over so I bought him for a little bit of money. He looks great compared to the bag of bones with rain rot that came to me back in March.
He takes his time eating his feed and hay, I guess he is enjoying the flavor he thought he might not ever taste again.

I was happy to see this posting and the replies, now I have other leads and maybe they can do something to help.

thanks.....

 

[Jake]

I've been watching a house several miles up the highway from where I live. I have to pass by that house on my way into town, and it's a disgusting mess. Trash piled all over the place, 4 horses in the front yard, and I don't know how many dogs and cats they have. Most of their trash is on the highway, sheet metal blown off their house and embedded in a tree on the highway.

I have gathered their horses off the highway, dodged puppies, and cats. I finally lost it when I found puppies dead on the highway. I wheeled my truck up to their house, told them that they had no business with animals, and also told them that I better not see those horses without food and water.

I've talked to the police, several vets and it seems like no one will do anything until they actually see the animal dead on the ground.

I did noticed that ever since my little visit that there has been hay for the horses. I don't know the quality of hay, but they are eating and I'm still watching.

Those people act completely innocent of any wrong doing. I'm not even sure why they have horses, they pay the horses no attention at all.

My family told me that I was going to get killed doing things like that....but I couldn't stand it any longer.

I turned someone in for starving a horse that I rescued, nothing happened. I refused to turn the horse over so I bought him for a little bit of money. He looks great compared to the bag of bones with rain rot that came to me back in March.
He takes his time eating his feed and hay, I guess he is enjoying the flavor he thought he might not ever taste again.

I was happy to see this posting and the replies, now I have other leads and maybe they can do something to help.

thanks.....

now I'm not going to condon the treatment of your neighbors cattle but you can't exactly blame the pups gettin hit on them... If they are old enough to run around and aren't "prize" animals most people will let their pups run around. They got on the road and got hit. Not exactly something that's uncommon or inhumane.