IT may take a village just to raise a child, but it takes almost as much to move a 1000-kilogram steer when he's not feeling well.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The steer in question is 16-year-old 'Baby Douglas', who arrived at the Kindly Animal Sanctuary as a one-week-old calf, and been looked after ever since by sanctuary founder, Naomi Hooper.
Ms Hooper said Baby Douglas had not been well for some time, and was found unable to move on a slope in a paddock earlier this month. Normally, Ms Hooper would move an animal using a conveyor belt, but Baby Douglas was just too large.
She rang Andromeda Industries in Moonbi, a manufacturing company which makes steel plaited cables, and when she shared her predicament, a wide piece of rubber was donated to move the animal.
"Everyone's contacted us saying 'how did you get him on there?'" she said.
"And the answer is, with great difficulty."
And the help didn't stop there.
Owner of Armidale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lent a tractor to get Baby Douglas on his feet, and Steven Rhodes' transport business donated a generator which can run an electric horse massage machine to massage the steer's legs.
READ ALSO:
According to Ms Hooper, Baby Douglas has never had health issues before, but he is overweight. He's been checked over by vets and they still haven't worked out why he ended up out of action.
Baby Douglas has had blood tests and urine tests which have shown no signs of illness, so the theory is that he slipped and did some damage, Ms Hooper said.
"While he's cheerful and happy, he's talking, he still wants cuddles and scratches and he's eating and drinking a lot, we will persevere," she said.
"Each animal here is like my child - if something happens to one, I will mourn that as if I only had one pet.
"If he stops eating and drinking, he will have to be euthanized," she said.
Kindly Animal Sanctuary is a not-for-profit sanctuary located on 141 hectares at Dumaresq, just north-west of Armidale, and is a home for animals rescued from domestic violence, natural disasters, neglect, and more.
The sanctuary is currently home to about 200 animals.
Ms Hooper grew up with domestic violence, and she understands animals coming from the same situation.
"A lot of them are not healthy or happy or they're troubled, and then a lot of them really bond to me because I'm the main carer," she said.
To help Baby Douglas, Ms Hooper is trying to build a heavy duty portable lifting frame, and is accepting help wherever she can get it. The organisation also accepts donations, which are tax deductible.
Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters
Eva Baxter
Eva is a Northern Daily Leader journalist based in Tamworth. She covers health, politics, energy, arts & entertainment, business, community, and a bit of everything else.
Eva is a Northern Daily Leader journalist based in Tamworth. She covers health, politics, energy, arts & entertainment, business, community, and a bit of everything else.
