Moonpie is an incredibly special miniature rescue cow who was once destined to become ground beef. Fortunately for her, she was spotted at a livestock auction and was purchased by a friend of Janice Wolf, the founder of the Rocky Ridge Refuge Sanctuary.
“These auctions are huge — millions and millions of animals are auctioned off everyday,” commented Wolf. “I stay away from them because they kind of make me crazy. Many of the animals aren’t being treated that well.”
Because Moonpie is tiny, she was allowed to stay indoors with Janice’s 12 dogs due to poor weather upon arrival. In no matter of time, the canines befriended her and the story goes that she now believes she’s part of the pack. In an interview with The Dodo, Janice said:
“She accepts them as her buddies. Babies like that — they don’t know a whole lot about what it’s supposed to be, so they kind of just accept things.”
The dogs serve as her surrogate moms, said Janice. “They clean her face, the way her mother would have. They love to do that… They were all thrilled to see her.”
One of Moonpie’s favorite friends is a deaf bull terrier named Spackle.
“The picture with the white bull terrier — that was Moonpie’s first day here,” Wolf said. “Spackle loves babies, and immediately became her protector and buddy. She wouldn’t leave that calf’s side. They instantly bonded.”
“My dogs have a lot of experience with various critters I rescue or otherwise end up with! A calf is just another friend to love,” Wolf told Bored Panda.
Moonpie even learned how to “use the bathroom,” according to Wolf. Like the dogs, she holds the urge to defecate or urinate until she is outside.
“She does what the dogs show her, so she learned how to do that,” Wolf said.
Now that the weather is nice and Moonpie is beginning to venture outdoors more. However, there’s still a lot more growing to do before she can be introduced to the other rescue animals, including a water buffalo, a zebra, capybaras, pigs, dogs, goats, an emu, other cows, and chickens. Fortunately, she has a large family of canines to keep her company.
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