Cowboys Needed For Wily Rhode Island Steer
The police in Johnston, Rhode Island, need a couple cowboys. At least, that’s our assumption.
A 1,500-pound steer escaped Feb. 4 while unloading at Rhode Island Beef and Veal, a slaughterhouse in Johnston. The steer is rather wily, apparently, as he has only been seen a handful of times in the six weeks since his escape.
We might also assume the steer is healthy because he travels well. He’s been sighted in Providence, RI, several miles from the Johnston slaughterhouse.
Police said they cannot actively chase the steer, but they do keep track of its reported movements.
"Our goal is to keep it contained to wooded areas where, hopefully, it remains unharmed. Please leave the capture to professionals," Johnston police said in a Facebook post.
The steer has also captured the hearts of some residents who hope to provide him with a home in a sanctuary. Over 12,000 people have signed a petition started by Victoria Ferruccio-Flores to “save the Johnston cow.”
“He's been seen wandering the streets of Johnston, RI, at night and has managed to evade capture multiple times! This guy wants to live so badly and we think he's earned the right to live out the rest of his days in peace, at a Sanctuary,” Ferruccio-Flores wrote on the petition’s home page.
Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue in New Jersey has agreed to take the steer, when and if it is captured.
“Now we just have to find him and get him safely in a trailer,” Ferruccio-Flores said.
Time, it would seem, is on the steer's side. Green grass will soon be available, followed by leaves on the trees which will make the steer even harder to spot.
