Actually the shelter rule is absolutely dependent on the animal and the local laws. I have also made this “mistake” only to discover that access to adequate shelter is not a standard law.
That may be the case but owners cannot deny medical care for sick and injured animals, livestock or not.
I’ve never heard of the shelter rule being dependent on local laws, but I believe it. It’s very unfortunate for the animals who have to live that way.
Either way, OP needs to find out where their local Humane Investigation team is operating out of. They’ll deal with the police.
Color of Light–where are you located? If I’m not mistaken, here in PA it is against the law to withold veterinary care to your livestock…
It’s been what–two days? This would make me absolutely crazy!!! :mad: It would make me so crazy that I would pay for a veterinarian to assess this cow’s condition and pay for pain relief, if it were needed! I’ve done that a few times over the years for other people’s animals because no one, man or animal, should have to suffer because of other’s ignorance or unwillingness to pay for a veterinarian…
Go talk to the owner, tell him you can’t stand to see the cow suffer and ask him who his vet is. Get the owner’s name and the vet’s number–I will call the vet for more info. If it doesn’t cost thousands of dollars I think I can handle the cost–I just have no idea what this might entail as I’m not a cow person.
When livestock goes down, time is of the essence! The quicker you can get veterinary intervention the better chance the animal has of recovering. Duh…
I’ve seen animals die while waiting for cruelty officers to get the lead out! 
What confuses me about this thread is how the OP insists all the things that they seem to know with out a doubt have not happened at all.
Have you (OP) really not left the window at all during this whole experience?
It is great that you assume nothing happens when you are sleeping or getting lunch or using the toilet room or <gasp> minding your own business for a bit, but that is a huge leap.
Just because you do not see something happen does not mean it has not happened.
If this cow is able to get up at this point it is clearly getting some care.
I feel like this is a lose/lose situation for the farmer. If he had propped the darn thing up using the tractor the OP would be screaming about the abuse of using the tractor.
Just a note about retained placentas in cattle since it was mentioned. In cattle retained placenta is not the absolute emergency that it is in horses. And as of late manual removal is not recommended. So if you see a cow with afterbirthb days after calving, you cannot assume that it is not getting Veterinary care. Ideally it will be knotted so that it is not hitting the ground but generally they are left so that the weight helps remove them. Antibiotic injections, Hormone injections and possibly uterine infusions may also be used.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8654821]
What confuses me about this thread is how the OP insists all the things that they seem to know with out a doubt have not happened at all.
Have you (OP) really not left the window at all during this whole experience? [/QUOTE]
I am wondering the same thing.
Impossible that the OP has seen EVERYTHING that has gone on 24/7 from the start of this ordeal.
OP doesn’t even know if owner is home or not … but knows exactly when (or when not) the cow has been brought food and/or water?
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
If someone brought her water, you’d think they’d leave a bucket. [/QUOTE]
I wouldn’t. She’d just spill it and then she’d be laying on wet ground. I’d just offer water several times a day.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
I moved my desk in my office facing that farm, so I could see any action in that pasture all week, even from a far distance. I must have missed the other sparse waterings all week, since she is still barely alive. [/QUOTE]
Do you work OP?
Or do you stare out the window 24/7?
Do you have your own property to attend to and/or horses?
Do you leave the room to prepare dinner? Use the rest room?
I am positive you’ve not seen everything; it’s impossible. You’d have to sit there glued 24/7 and never move your eyes.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
She managed to stand for about 5 minutes. He petted her, walked away, she tried to shuffle her hind legs in tiny steps, but her hind end is hunched under, almost like her legs won’t straighten. She crumbled to the ground. Got video of it all. [/QUOTE]
It’s encouraging that she’s able to stand for a short period. And sounds like he is attending to her.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
The guy I am seeing is definitely the farm owner who pulled the calf out and has been working in his garden 200 feet away several days since this happened, ignoring the poor cow. [/QUOTE]
You just said he checked on her? So I’m not sure how he is ignoring her. 
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
Without a vet exam, a lay person would likely believe whatever the owner would tell them…she’s just got a tummy ache or something. [/QUOTE]
How do you know the vet hasn’t been out? Again, it’s impossible for you watch 24/7.
Or how do you know the owner hasn’t consulted with the vet over the phone?
Some things you just have to give a wait-and-see approach. He very well could have called the vet and this is what the vet told him to do. Maybe the vet didn’t think it was necessary he make a farm call yet. You aren’t in his house so it’s impossible to know.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
Yes, but it is not an old cow [/QUOTE]
Curious how you know this? Do you know the ages of all his cows?
I sure don’t blame you for being concerned about the situation OP, as I would be too. However, you know you don’t have the whole story nor all the details. I’m getting the impression you’ve never liked this guy very much from the start, and are pretty quick to make negative assumptions about him.
Do what you need to do with contacting law enforcement and animal control, but don’t make assumptions. Sure, might very well be that he’s waiting for the cow to die and doesn’t care. But you might also be totally wrong on that.
[QUOTE=beau159;8655064]
Do what you need to do with contacting law enforcement and animal control, but don’t make assumptions. Sure, might very well be that he’s waiting for the cow to die and doesn’t care. But you might also be totally wrong on that.[/QUOTE]
OP, You will have far better luck when you contact them with obvious facts and not all your drama that is unrealistic.
They would take you more seriously if you do not exaggerate.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8653221]
In keeping this horse related, this is horse country and I am watching the Kentucky Derby while typing this and feeling very sad about the suffering cow.[/QUOTE]
There is a section to this forum for stuff that is livestock/farm related that is not horse related. This post would have fit in just right in there and no need to pretend it was horse related.
It sounds like OP has some backstory with this neighbor that is part of the concern.
I am fully in agreement that all animals need appropriate care, but appropriate care does vary by species, and livestock vets are much more hands off than horse vets. Ours does a lot over phone and email, and I’ve even heard her refer people to laymen in the area who she knows are expert at particular issues with specific species, like difficult births. If you’re not directly involved with and knowledgeable about the animal, it’s easy to make wrong assumptions.
One of my sheep raising friends this spring had a “good samaritan” see a lamb in a field and decide it was abandoned, so they scooped it up and took it home. Unfortunately, the actions of this person (who apparently should have known better and also should have guessed who to call) caused the lamb to die.
It’s funny to me for OP to write that she sees the owner working 200 feet away in a garden as neglect. I actually would do exactly that, something to keep me busy nearby where I can keep my eye on an animal that has me concerned, without being in its face and driving it batty, especially when in a situation where time is the prescription.
Law enforcement exists for a reason, but it can also interfere with good people trying to do right by their animals.
I think a better way to troll for information is to go to the neighbor and offer to help. “I see that cow is still down, do you need help (getting water to her / extra cattle panels / a shadecloth structure) that I can give?”
[QUOTE=Beck;8653942]
Am I the only one who finds it disturbing that there seems to be acceptance of the attitude of “if you cannot do anything to help, turn a blind eye”? Wow.
Had a neighbour (not a hobby farmer, btw) who left a beef cow with a prolapsed uterus out in a field for all the world to see for days. They were aware, just let it be. Nobody did anything. Nice.
Inhumane is inhumane.[/QUOTE]
That was my take away, too. Disturbing. Inhumane is inhumane!
[QUOTE=RubyTuesday;8654009]
It’s just plain bad business as well as bad ethics to not even leave a bucket of water out for the cow. If he wants it dead, shoot it or have it shot. Shouldn’t play around and allow it to suffer, that’s just crazy.[/QUOTE]
I find this tortuous. Just enough food and water every so often to still stay alive. Kind of.
[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;8654024]
Have you tried calling the local sheriff’s office?? When I had to observe (no way to get to town than to pass the field) a dead yearling colt laying in a field for a week after he froze/starved to death…I called the sheriff’s office and asked if there were no statutes in the county for dead animal disposal. Colt was buried the next day…but NO action was taken for the 20 other starving colts in a pasture with NO shelter at minus zero temps!! AC at it’s finest!! If there is ONE flake of hay on the property they do nothing!! Try offering to help the cow owner…vet or gun shot!!![/QUOTE]
Sheriff is LE in these parts. Your story is sad and awful.
[QUOTE=skyon;8654115]
I do not know much about cows, but what little I have observed is that they are tough and have a completely different digestive/water intake system and they also can be a whole lot more massive than horses, and then it breaks into different types of cows.
If he has different cows as hobby and the place is well kept, someone is giving him advice. However neglect can happen with a hobby farm owner just out of ignorance where as a shrewd owner may just shot the cow since it was near the road.
No one knows the side of the guy owning the cow.[/QUOTE]
Highly doubt it based on other happenings over the years. A groomed lawn and garden to do not mean someone is giving cattle advice. In this case means hired help is doing farm maintenance, while owner is planting a garden. I have never seen or heard him shoot a suffering cow yet. They are left to die on their own.
If she is still alive now and standing for longer, she must have been getting at least water.
How is she? Is she still alive and standing even longer now? If so there is hope that the nerve is returning to normal with time.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8655659]
Highly doubt it based on other happenings over the years. A groomed lawn and garden to do not mean someone is giving cattle advice. In this case means hired help is doing farm maintenance, while owner is planting a garden. I have never seen or heard him shoot a suffering cow yet. They are left to die on their own.[/QUOTE]
Color of Light - you said you were getting more info on sunday, did you?
You would get much farther with facts than your opinions.
Seriously? Walk yourself over to neighbor. Ask him if he thought renting a pop-up tent at rentacenter to offer the cow some shelter while it heals would help. Ask him if he needs help. You are every bit as culpable just sitting in the comfort of your house watching this unfold. Get up and actually do something.
Reminds me of the people who whip out their cell phone cameras instead of actually, you know, helping instead of being bystanders. SMH.
[QUOTE=Color of Light;8655659]
Highly doubt it based on other happenings over the years. A groomed lawn and garden to do not mean someone is giving cattle advice. In this case means hired help is doing farm maintenance, while owner is planting a garden. I have never seen or heard him shoot a suffering cow yet. They are left to die on their own.[/QUOTE]
I take it you do not like the man.
Your load would be a lot lighter if you dropped the chip off your shoulder.
This really ticks me off. The OP cares that a cow, an animal, is suffering and people are flaming the OP. You are not a busy body if you do not want to see an animal suffer. You are not nosey if you look thru binoculars to check on a downed animal.
What amazes me is people who join a forum, like CoTH, and do not care about the suffering of other animals. Go join some slaughter forum if you want animals to suffer. Humans are not that far up the scale on the evolution route to be so superior. If you must kill animals, do not let them linger and suffer.
OP, you are great. Now if this were I, I’d buy the cow and either pay vet bills or put it down. Don’t pay attention to those who flame you here.
Agree with you, C&C.
[QUOTE=cloudyandcallie;8655809]
This really ticks me off. The OP cares that a cow, an animal, is suffering and people are flaming the OP. You are not a busy body if you do not want to see an animal suffer. You are not nosey if you look thru binoculars to check on a downed animal.
What amazes me is people who join a forum, like CoTH, and do not care about the suffering of other animals. Go join some slaughter forum if you want animals to suffer. Humans are not that far up the scale on the evolution route to be so superior. If you must kill animals, do not let them linger and suffer.
OP, you are great. Now if this were I, I’d buy the cow and either pay vet bills or put it down. Don’t pay attention to those who flame you here.[/QUOTE]
If that was your cow and it was down, and you really were doing what was advised to save it as well as paying vet bills, you might not mind LE coming and others questioning but you would probably want your version of the story told as well if it spread this far.
My only issue is that the subject line pulls someone in, but it doesn’t sound like the OP is doing any of the advice or giving more info than when this began.
Old statement but true - ‘if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem’.
If OP truly cared and wasn’t just interested in being a bystander then she would take the advice to go and do something about the cow that she has watched suffer for 5 days or more.
Go to the owner and offer help.
