In January, one little black and white calf grabbed the attention of Williamsburg-area residents — and the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.
The calf, which weighed several hundred pounds, was a fugitive, on the lam from authorities after he escaped a transport trailer on Interstate 64. The calf, dubbed “Ferdinand” by a sheriff’s deputy intent on catching the elusive bovine, had road rash on his face, and was fast.
So fast, it took a team of real cowboys — lassos, horses, the works — to catch Ferdinand in the woods in York County two weeks after his escape.
The calf’s wounds were treated by a veterinarian, and his owner did not claim him, so Ferdinand went off to Grateful Meadows in West Point, a small farm rescue operated by Victoria Nation and her partner, Jonathan Aulich.
But that was not the end of the story for Ferdinand, who is now about a year old, lives in Maryland and goes by “Wallace.”
Off to Poplar Spring
After realizing their 1-acre pasture may not be the right fit, Nation and Aulich began looking for a long-term home for the lone calf.
“Cows are incredibly social animals,” Nation said, adding that they did not have enough room for multiple cows. “They protect and nurture each other.”
In February, Ferdinand climbed aboard a trailer for one last road trip.
His destination? Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, Maryland.
“Initially were were just in the rescue mindset of getting him out of the storm and getting him somewhere safe,” Nation said. “Once we got him, we did more research about cows and realized what we were providing for him wasn’t going to be everything he needed.”
The couple contacted Terry Cummings, co-director and co-founder of nonprofit Poplar Spring. Without hesitation, Cummings agreed to add the calf to the sanctuary’s 300-animal roster.
Ferdinand was picked up in West Point and transported to the 400-acre sanctuary, where he was renamed Wallace.
“Terry said they already had a goat named Ferdinand, so we’ll have to rename him, but that wasn’t going to stop him having having a full and happy life,” Nation said.
Cummings said sanctuary staff and volunteers voted on a new name for the calf, and landed on Wallace.
“Otherwise, we would have kept the same name, it’s cute,” Cummings said. “We try to name everybody a human name… because we think it helps people to think about them as more than just a thing.”
Cow friends and animal cookies
At the start of his stay at Poplar Springs, Wallace was shy and timid, Cummings said.
But with some coaxing and animal cracker treats, Wallace has slowly gained confidence — and made a new best cow friend, Jessie.
Wallace will live out the rest of his life at Poplar Spring, which could be over 20 years, Cummings said.
A video posted to the sanctuary’s social media shows Wallace galloping across a field with Jessie.
“It’s not just our baby calf who likes to run. Jessie and his BFF Wallace enjoy racing to visit with Nellie, one of our elderly cows, who was grazing in another pasture,” the post reads.
Wallace healed completely and has no lasting injuries from the Interstate 64 accident in December. He has also been neutered, making him a steer now, and weighs about 500 pounds.
“He’s goofy,” Cummings said. “He’s just gentle and happy. You call his name and he comes right over.”
Cummings said Wallace has become a “big cookie fiend.”
Some animals who come from traumatic situations never fully let their guard down, but Cummings said Wallace has become a true success story.
“So many bad things could have happened, but it’s such a happy ending,” she said.
Future
Since giving Wallace up to the sanctuary, Nation said she plans to support him as much she can from afar.
Nation and Aulich sponsored Wallace by donating a $300 lump sum to the sanctuary, which will help provide 12 months of care for Wallace. The money was leftover from a GoFundMe campaign, which raised money to treat the calf’s wounds from the Interstate 64 accident.
Nation said she visited Wallace on her birthday, March 23, and plans to visit him more when she can.
“We went to the pasture to go see him, and I just hollered to him,” Nation said. “He put his head up, and him and his friends started moseying our way.”
“We got to give him a lot of treats, and I got a birthday kiss.”
Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary is open to public tours every weekend. For more information, visit the sanctuary website.
