UF’s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service responded to a call Saturday in northwest Gainesville to rescue a 1,200-pound cow that got stuck in mud.
Brandi Phillips, a UF VETS team member, said the cow, Dixie, wandered off from her owners’ pasture Friday evening. Dixie had gone about 200 yards from the pasture before getting stuck in a swampy area.
The owners knew something was wrong when they heard Dixie’s calf calling for her, Phillips said. The owners attempted to look for Dixie, but since it was dark outside, it was hard to see.
The owners found Dixie stuck in the mud at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Phillips said. The UF VETS team arrived at the scene at about 1 p.m. after receiving a call from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
“She had already been in the hole for over 12 hours at that point,” Phillips said. “We were worried about things like dehydration, hypothermia and shock.”
UF VETS had to work quickly and devise a strategy in order to get Dixie out of the mud, Phillips said. The four UF VETS team members, alongside volunteers from ACSO and Dixie’s owners, were able to get Dixie out of the mud 1 1/2 hours after arriving on scene.
Sara Almcrantz, a UF 4th year in the college of veterinary medicine, said she performed the exam on Dixie once she was pulled out of the mud, and she had no injuries.
The 25-year-old has been involved with UF VETS for about four years, but this was her first time helping rescue an animal in distress.
“It’s been a really exciting and unique experience as a veterinary student,” she said. “It’s allowed me to explore different areas of veterinary medicine.”
Phillips said the rescue was a team effort on a lot of different fronts.
“We’re always grateful to have a happy ending. Especially the day before Mother’s Day, being able to reunite a momma cow with her calf is very rewarding,” she said.
Contact Catie Wegman at cwegman@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter: @catie_wegman.
A UF VETS team member assists Dixie, a 1,200 pound cow, after she was stuck in mud for 12 hours. She did not have any injuries.
UF VETS team members help Dixie out of the mud and onto a "rescue glide" to save her. The team was able to get her out of the mud 1 1/2 hours after arriving on scene.
