In 2013, National Geographic published a story about animals that treat the young of other animals as part of the family. Examples given were a dog that nursed a baby squirrel, apes that took in abandoned kittens as part of the family, a dog that nurses a baby owl, a hen that sits on her pups to keep them warm, a Dalmation that adopted a calf who happen to have spots, and a goat that took a young giraffe under its wing.
There is even a book about cross-animal adoptions called “Unlikely Loves.”
Well it’s happened again. In a YouTube video, Rookie and the cow a South Korean family told the story of how a young pup named Rooke was abandoned by his mother for some reason and became adopted by one of the two family cows.
Rookie would play with the cow, climb on it, and sometimes sleep on it, and the cow was quite content to let the young pup do it. In fact, the cow would frequently lick the pup affectionately, and the two became the best of friends.
As happens sometimes, the economy gets in the way, and the owner in February of last year decided he need to sell the cow.
Prior to the sale, the cow was brought to another stall not far away and Rookie became miserable. He would yip, and whine and pester his human owners as if to ask, almost perpetually, “Where’s mom? ”
Shortly after the two were separated, Rookie began whining again and was elated to hear the cow’s moo from the unfamiliar stall.
Rookie took off, and like a lightning bolt, following the call of the cow. Naturally, his persistence was rewarded, and he walked into the door of the other stall, found the cow, and the two were united.
Rookie yipped and yelled for joy at the return of “mom,” only, unfortunately, mom had not returned. The owner scolded Rookie, picked him up, and returned with the pup to the house. The dog squirmed and yipped all the way home.
Having been convinced with his own eyes and ears that “mom” was not far away, Rookie went from sad to out and out miserable. Rookie refused to eat, and just lied down sullenly.
This went on for a few days, and after a bit, rookie wandered out of the house and returned to the stall where he and “mom” had spent so many happy days.
Rookie was astounded to see that “mom had returned.” Rookie didn’t know the circumstances of her disappearance, her move to another stall, and then her return, but he didn’t care. All he knew was that “mom” had returned.
What actually happened that although they still didn’t know how they would keep up the upkeep on two cows, the owner and his wife decided that keeping the dog and cow together were too important than money.
The local vet, however, warned the owner that the dog needed to become less attached to the cow, so they are gradually introducing him to other dogs, and taking hairs from the cow so the dog will not seem so strange.
