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Gloria
Gloria is sort of the girl who started Legacy Herefords.
Born in the spring of 2007, Gloria first caught Allison's notice (and her name) when she was seen marching determinedly away from her mother, despite momma cow's desperate attempts to keep her close. Immediately identified as a "feminist cow" by Allison and named, accordingly, after Gloria Steinem, Gloria went her own way when Allison and Theresa were dismissed from management and liquidation of the herd in the summer of 2007.
Already in a precarious situation, the herd declined rapidly through the summer and into the fall, and Allison did not see Gloria again until October (though she wondered and worried about her), when she and Theresa returned to manage the partial liquidation of the herd. The shocking condition of the animals made it impossible to believe Gloria could have survived - her mother wasn't the best milking cow even before she was starved, Gloria had been small and underweight when Allison first met her, and since her momma clearly hadn't been nursed for some time before the liquidation it seemed a near certainty she'd died during the herd's starvation.
But, as it turned out, independent little Gloria had survived, at least long enough to make it to the sale barn. Allison and Theresa searched and found her in one of the sale pens, mixed in with all the big cows, laying on her side, so weak and sick she wouldn't even move when another cow stepped on her. Though she had to be carried on to the already crowded trailer, and probably only to have a safe, comfortable place to be put to sleep, Allison insisted on taking her home.
Gloria is sort of the girl who started Legacy Herefords.
Born in the spring of 2007, Gloria first caught Allison's notice (and her name) when she was seen marching determinedly away from her mother, despite momma cow's desperate attempts to keep her close. Immediately identified as a "feminist cow" by Allison and named, accordingly, after Gloria Steinem, Gloria went her own way when Allison and Theresa were dismissed from management and liquidation of the herd in the summer of 2007.
Already in a precarious situation, the herd declined rapidly through the summer and into the fall, and Allison did not see Gloria again until October (though she wondered and worried about her), when she and Theresa returned to manage the partial liquidation of the herd. The shocking condition of the animals made it impossible to believe Gloria could have survived - her mother wasn't the best milking cow even before she was starved, Gloria had been small and underweight when Allison first met her, and since her momma clearly hadn't been nursed for some time before the liquidation it seemed a near certainty she'd died during the herd's starvation.
But, as it turned out, independent little Gloria had survived, at least long enough to make it to the sale barn. Allison and Theresa searched and found her in one of the sale pens, mixed in with all the big cows, laying on her side, so weak and sick she wouldn't even move when another cow stepped on her. Though she had to be carried on to the already crowded trailer, and probably only to have a safe, comfortable place to be put to sleep, Allison insisted on taking her home.
Legacy Herefords, LLC 2107 Eldridge Ave Bellingham, WA 98225 phone: 360.255.3063 email: legacyherefords@gmail.com
At home, in a small safe pen by herself, Gloria refused to eat or drink, so water was poured down her throat and a little food forced into her mouth to give her
a taste for it. Two solid weeks of nearly 24-hour-a-day care, hand feeding, and vitamin shots ensued, during which Gloria tried to die on a fairly regular basis.
But she came through. Gloria spent her first winter with one other calf friend, in a separate pen, where she was fed as much as she could take and lavished
with attention.
As she gained strength, Gloria also regained her independent, rebellious streak. She led the other calves on a breakout that included a jaunt up a city street and a new acquaintanceship with Bellingham's finest (though Gloria herself came home before the other delinquents were caught). She staged multiple transportation strikes, refusing to get in the trailer, and on at least two occasions convinced everyone else to get back out of the trailer.
Gloria was also a good sport. She helped babysit other cows' calves (she didn't have her own calf in spring 2009) and hung out with the 2008 heifers as they came into the bigger herd. She provided modeling services for a local non-profit's promotional materials, allowing herself to be spraypainted with the organization's logo for the gig. And she was all-around best pal and the one allowed pet in the herd for her "mom" Allison - she was always fascinated by human footwear and feet, loved her scratches, and even curling up for naps with Allison.
In late fall 2009, Allison and Theresa discovered that Gloria, in true rebellious Gloria fashion, had not followed the proscribed plan. Instead she was bred about 6 months earlier than thought and was planning to calve around Thanksgiving. So, Gloria came to town to hang out with the 2009 calves through the winter, have her own first calf, and eat Allison out of house and home. But a rare complication developed around calving time that was neither foreseeable nor preventable, and though a very, very slim chance existed that she might survive, Allison made the heartbreaking decision to spare Gloria any suffering or pain and let her go. When she laid down that final time, Gloria tucked her nose into Allison's arm, and the two stayed close together until the end and Gloria was gone.
Gloria was a loved, happy girl until the day she left us, and we miss her - and we will miss seeing the trouble she'd get into in the future, whether she'd like our future footwear fashion choices, mothering her calves, and watching her grow older and eventually become the matriarch of the herd.
Gloria was Legacy Herefords, and everything we are built upon. Care and compassion. Having animals that are part of our family and our life. Belief in our vision and potential as we struggled to save and rehabilitate a dying herd of exceptional, sweet cattle who deserved a better life. And love - of our whole family, four-legged and two.
As she gained strength, Gloria also regained her independent, rebellious streak. She led the other calves on a breakout that included a jaunt up a city street and a new acquaintanceship with Bellingham's finest (though Gloria herself came home before the other delinquents were caught). She staged multiple transportation strikes, refusing to get in the trailer, and on at least two occasions convinced everyone else to get back out of the trailer.
Gloria was also a good sport. She helped babysit other cows' calves (she didn't have her own calf in spring 2009) and hung out with the 2008 heifers as they came into the bigger herd. She provided modeling services for a local non-profit's promotional materials, allowing herself to be spraypainted with the organization's logo for the gig. And she was all-around best pal and the one allowed pet in the herd for her "mom" Allison - she was always fascinated by human footwear and feet, loved her scratches, and even curling up for naps with Allison.
In late fall 2009, Allison and Theresa discovered that Gloria, in true rebellious Gloria fashion, had not followed the proscribed plan. Instead she was bred about 6 months earlier than thought and was planning to calve around Thanksgiving. So, Gloria came to town to hang out with the 2009 calves through the winter, have her own first calf, and eat Allison out of house and home. But a rare complication developed around calving time that was neither foreseeable nor preventable, and though a very, very slim chance existed that she might survive, Allison made the heartbreaking decision to spare Gloria any suffering or pain and let her go. When she laid down that final time, Gloria tucked her nose into Allison's arm, and the two stayed close together until the end and Gloria was gone.
Gloria was a loved, happy girl until the day she left us, and we miss her - and we will miss seeing the trouble she'd get into in the future, whether she'd like our future footwear fashion choices, mothering her calves, and watching her grow older and eventually become the matriarch of the herd.
Gloria was Legacy Herefords, and everything we are built upon. Care and compassion. Having animals that are part of our family and our life. Belief in our vision and potential as we struggled to save and rehabilitate a dying herd of exceptional, sweet cattle who deserved a better life. And love - of our whole family, four-legged and two.