Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/catch-harold/

How much time are you willing to spend to catch and rescue an escaped animal which does not even belong to your farm?

This girl spent more than two months just to rescue a cow that escaped from a local meat farm when it was three months old.

It was her boss who first noticed the calf, mixing with their horses. The girl received a picture of it and thought of ways to capture the calf and turn it over to a sanctuary where it could receive proper care.

This calf really needed help because even if it mixed with their horses at times, it kept on returning deep into the woods.

She started to contact animal rescue groups and it was Tamerlaine Sanctuary that was willing to take it in.

Now, her remaining task was to catch the calf which she named Harold.

The girl found out that Harold could easily be befriended. But capturing it was another thing.

Every day, after school, she would prepare a bucket of grain for the calf which she realized was its favorite meal. In just a week’s time, she could already pet Harold and slowly lead it to the barn. Once she secured the calf inside the barn, it would be easier for Tamerlaine Sanctuary to get Harold and transport him to a new home.

But Harold would step inside the barn only for some moments, then it would back off from what it could sense was an enclosed space. They had been in a similar situation more than a hundred times, but Harold would always back out and return to the woods.

Two months later, the girl decided to build a pen for Harold instead. Maybe the calf would feel more comfortable in it.

And soon enough, Harold entered and stayed inside the pen willingly. The girl was so enthusiastic upon discovering the calf just where she had been hoping it would be. She quickly contacted Tanerlaine Sanctuary and everyone helped to get Harold to his new home.

Upon seeing the other cows at the sanctuary, Harold ran happily and mixed with them like they were his old mates! He also met another cow, Dexter, who is now his best friend.

After months of being a stray, Harold finally found the family he has been longing for at the Tamerlaine Sanctuary — and that was thanks to the patient girl who did not stop until earning Harold’s trust for the calf’s own good.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog