Heartwarming Connection Between a Sick Calf and a Puppy

In 2020, the Gentle Barn, established by Ellie Laks and Jay Weiner, welcomed a young calf into their care after he tragically lost his mother. They rescued the calf from a slaughterhouse, where he was left orphaned at the age of just one week.

John Lewis Thunderheart was the name they gave him because he was also a fighter. The poor animal was not in a good health condition when Lewis first arrived at The Gentle Barn. “He had severe pneumonia. He had loud, raspy breathing. He had a deep cough. He had an extremely high temperature,” Ellie said.

Lewis also did not receive enough colostrum to develop a stronger immune system due to the stressful environment he was born into. Because of this, he developed pneumonia and had to struggle to survive all his life.

He was brought inside their air-conditioned house because the staff at the shelter knew he could not survive in the barn. Everyone understood that at that time, the baby required a clean and cool environment. Besides, only by doing this, will the people at the Gentle Barn be able to care for him around the clock.

During the little calf's recovery, an animal friend who lived inside the house turned out to be a huge blessing for Lewis.  He is an affectionate dog, and his name is Sky.

Sky was given to The Gentle Barn by his former owner, who was unable to handle his high level of energy. Although they were not supposed to, they found that Sky made a fantastic therapy dog. He is able to calm those who are anxious, make people laugh, and soften the hearts of those who have anger management problems.

He was therefore the ideal companion for Lewis as he recovered. “Sky protected him, soothed him, and would lay down right next to him and curl up beside him,” Ellie described. “We just kept pouring love and comfort into him until he slowly began to heal.”

People at the organization first noticed Lewis and Sky had developed a close bond when Lewis was able to venture outside. “They run all over the yard and tussle. The sky is very mouthy like a puppy, and Lewis is wonky like a cow, but somehow they make it work and understand each other,” Ellie shared.

Sky was also there to help Lewis get used to his new farm life when Ellie took him for walks and introduced him to the other cows.

Lewis was just a week old and weighed 50 pounds when he was brought in. But at this point, he is two years old and weighs over a thousand pounds. He has grown significantly in size compared to Sky.

As these two are aware of the significant weight disparity between them, they are no longer as physical with one another. However, it does not prevent them from expressing their love for one another.

Whenever Sky will swarm over Lewis as he lies down on the ground. As soon as Lewis is down, he will lick him. “Watching Lewis and Sky together, there’s so much to be grateful for. What I enjoy the most is that no matter how old or big they get, their love still continues,” Ellie said of their relationship. “To us, we see a dog and a cow. But to John Lewis and Sky, they just see friends, they see family, they see love.”



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