Hello Friends,
I have a story to share with you today and photos that will be unpleasant. Before I share, I will give you a little background about me. I am a farmer's daughter. I was born and raised on a dairy farm in Northern Wisconsin. I was taught to care and love our farm animals. We are the care takers, not only of the farm land but of the farm animals. That is my dad in the photo above, he is cutting hay with the help of our son Sam, who will be 21 next week!
Goodness time flies, when I look at these photos I smile. Not only did my sister and I learn the value of caring for animals and the land from my dad, but so did my boys.
I deliver Meals on Wheels. I am a rural driver. I deliver in a Northwest area of the county I live in. The county I live in in is a rural Wisconsin county, with many farms, agriculture is how many who live here make their living. Three Friday's ago, I saw this in a ditch! I was sickened.
* WARNING UNPLEASANT PHOTOS *
Two calves tossed in the ditch. Both had twine wrapped around their legs.
I called my supervisor, I told her what I found, I asked if I should call the Sheriff's department.
This is the answer I received, "Well Carla, this really is just a sign of the times. I know it is so sad. Maybe the calves died during birth, they may have had a difficult birth, maybe twins. And they died."
At this point I cut her off.. "NO! I was born and raised on a dairy farm. Yes, we had death. NO! NO! My dad never said, Let us go toss the calves in the ditch along the highway!!!"
My supervisor, "I know, Carla, but it is the sign of the times. I was born and raised on a farm too. It is so sad what has happened. I realize you have to drive past it everyday."
I shared this story with the other drivers. They could not believe that we are to think CATTLE IN A DITCH is to be normal in 2021!
Sadly, this story gets worse. As of last Friday the calves are still in the ditch.
I, Back the Blue.... so I am not disrespecting the department when I share what happens next. I do believe all calls to dispatch are recorded, so there is the proof of my conversation.
I share with dispatch, that along such and such road two dead calves are in the ditch.
It is odd to me I explain, to see dead cattle in the ditch.
The response I receive "I will need your full name, address, phone number and date of birth."
"Alright, I gave the information."
"I do hope that you understand that we can not have our deputies waste their time."
Somehow, I felt like I just became the bad person!
Sign of the Times?
You tell me? Are cattle in the ditch a thing now days?
When I shared this story with my dad it made him sick to his stomach.
If this is a sign of the times.. I am not joining!
I am going to keep being the girl with the values my dad taught me in treating people, animals (even dead ones) and the land.
"And know that yes, what you do matters.
Hang in there, keep going, keep shining your light."
Anne Butera
Oh Carla, that must be so awful to pass by and see that every day. I know what you mean, dear friend. I am so heartbroken at some of the things I see happening in the world. You spoke up and let it be known that if this is the sign of the times, you do not want to have anything to do with it. You are brave and thoughtful and caring about the farm land and the animals and human life. I loved the picture of your Dad with Sam. He raised a wonderful daughter, Carla. Never forget that.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
God Bless Ya....!
ReplyDeleteJust passing...! ❤️🙏
"A woman is like a tea bag~~You can't
tell how strong she is, until you put
her in hot water".
(Eleanor Roosevelt)..
How sad. It is very frustrating when you see bad treatment of animals (even worse when you see people being abused and mistreated). I think it's been going on for years though and it's up to each one of us to make changes and make a difference. Take care my friend.
ReplyDeleteThis is so heart breaking. When any of our dairy animal died, we tried to find the cause of death by taking the carcass to the lab for autopsy. The animal are incinerated or buried, never left in the open. This is totally heartless.
ReplyDeleteIt may be the sign of the time but we don't have to condone this behavior. Men's values has changed but God's values never changes.
You are to be praised for reporting this and I hope that the calves will be picked up and the farmer will be questioned. Your supervisor probably doesn't even care for people or animals either. This is even sadder.
I know that you always chose to do right and follow your conscience.
Hugs, Julia
Beyond disgusting!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe people who did this.
All the people you called, who 'blew you off.'
The attitude that... "This Is Now...Live With It"
And most of all, the inhuman people, who tied and threw those animals in the ditch.
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
Disgusting....
That is a sad story. I wonder if the highway department would clean up those poor calves. Or the owner of that property? I can't imagine who would leave them like that.
ReplyDeleteBreaks my heart. I hope that there isn't animal abuse happening at a nearby farm.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, my sister, Gigi, and I drove by an orange cat that had been run over. Everyone just kept on driving by, some even purposefully drove over the cat. So we got plastic bags from my trunk, and as the oldest sister...I was assigned to pick up the cat. We took it home and my hubby made a wooden coffin and wrapped the cat in a nice blanket. I posted on all the local lost and found groups and nobody came forward. We ended up burying the cat and naming it, Nutmeg.
It might be good to call animal control or to find someone who can pick up these calves. You're a good soul to care.
That is so sad and upsetting. I don't understand how someone could do that! You did the right thing by trying to get some sort of action. You wouldn't think it would be a waste of time. So sorry Carla!
ReplyDeleteWell, this is sad. Isn't there Animal Control around there? That is wwho we call for something like this. I guess if there was, the police would have told you. You would think there would be at least ONE person who would take pity and move them. And the police reaction, that was UNCALLED FOR!!
ReplyDeleteThat is sad. So glad your dad taught you and you were able to jump into action.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter!
I cannot find the words....other than to say that I am happy to know there are a few good people like you still in this world!
ReplyDeleteWe call Animal Control in our area. I was raised on a dairy d=farm as well. We NEVER would have done this. So sad. Good for you to try and do the right thing. Obviously some farmer does not really care about their animals. I once called the police for kids playing loud music at 4 in the morning and they told me they also had better things to do. I proceeded to tell them I pay the taxes for you and these kids dont and I need to get up in 2 hours for work. They eventually came out an hour later. Janice
ReplyDeleteIt is NOT normal, among the decent, to accept dead calves just tossed in a ditch. I am so sorry that others you reached out to help just acted quite badly. It is NOT a waste of time to investigate such an occurence, at all. Shame on them! It is bad enough to have seen that sad sight, but then someone shaming YOU for being concerned just adds a layer of meanness to the situation, almost bullying I would say. Times are changed and changing, but the silver lining is people like you, who care and stand up against it.
ReplyDeletevery sad and I am very sorry that you received the responses that you got. Shame on the person/persons who placed them there in the ditch. The value of life whether a person or an animal seems to be growing weak in the eyes of many. So sorry Carla.....and just know that you certainly did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThat's so so sad. I'd have to go and dig dirt over them or something. We aren't all cold to this tragedy
ReplyDeleteIt is strange. I find it hard to imagine a farmer doing this. Were they maybe taken from a farm and left there? It doesn't make sense. It's creepy.
ReplyDeleteThis is awful Carla. Not only does that seem wrong on so many levels but what about the soil and earth if they are not buried correctly. I am saddened that people in this area including the law enforcement do not think this is wrong. I am sorry that you had to see this. I would have been so sickened to see this especially with their legs tied like that. You wonder what really happened here. I can take a lot of things that are bad in our world but animal abuse is not one of them. Carla I know your caring heart is broken about this and then to be treated like you were is just insult on top of heartache. I am so sorry. Let's hope that someone will come along soon and take them away or bury them properly. Again so sorry you had to see this. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad and so awful. Yes animals die but it's not like it was a fox or a hedgehog for example that met with an accident. This was a wilful act by those responsible for those calves. I'm guessing that because they are calves they wouldn't be trackable back to the farmer in the way a marked cow would be. I hope someone takes responsibility soon.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad. No this is not the signs of the times. If the calves died they should be have been buried. I'm so sorry you had to see that. Those poor babies. I can't believe the police wouldn't help.
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely heartbreaking. That someone could do that is disqusting and I also hope this is not a sign of the times. Just breaks my heart :(
ReplyDeleteI'm so perplexed by the comment "that it's a sign of the times". What exactly is a sign of the times? Cold indifference? It's so sad that no one could take the time to just put those poor animals to rest somewhere. In my neck of the woods, the highway department comes around to take care of any animals that have run into traffic...we don't have a lot of farms here. I'm so sorry that you were confronted with this sight and more than once. I'm also sorry that your sweet open heart and compassion for those poor animals was met with such callousness. xxoo
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm missing something and I am no stripe of a farm or country girl, but how could such a thing even remotely be chalked up to being a "sign of the times" ... ??? What does anything going on (anywhere) have to do with wrongful and cruel and disrespectful disposal of poor dead animals? Nothing I am aware of -- in Wisconsin or anywhere else -- has any connection to dead calves lying in ditches. Perhaps what your supervisor and even the police meant was, respect for life is at its lowest ebb in our history. And that means human life ... and if people can kill and dispose of as trash human beings (as they do, every day), then how much more an animal? At any rate whomever disposed of those calves in that way, will answer to God for it someday. I'm sorry you had to see that. xoxo
ReplyDelete