Georgia farmer considers retirement after rabid cow attack
Farming is tough business.
Area cows have donated a nice recliner for the farmer's recovery. (Unrelated AP Photo)
Droughts, weeds and bugs all conspire against the modern husbandman.
And don’t forget the threat of 900-pound rabid farm animals. The Associated Press reports a Georgia farmer “in his early 70s” is considering retiring from his ancient profession after being attacked by a rabid cow.
Raymond Parks, of the Maysville area, located about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta on I-85, said he feared he would not survive the assault — a violent head-butting that threw him into a barbed wire fence.
Parks suffered broken ribs, but told WXIA TV he was still able to blast the unnamed and unarmed cow three times with his shotgun. Still, the animal didn’t die and a veterinarian was called several days later to put the animal out of its misery.
How did the animal contract rabies? The AP reports Parks’ Jackson County farm is near the spot where a rabid bobcat was recently discovered.
Cows rarely contract rabies, but 19 other animals in Parks’ herd have been placed in quarantine for six months.
Parks’ wife of more than 50 years, Pauline, said despite recent events that her husband will never retire.
In other farm animal news: Inmate adds pig image to Vermont police cruiser decals
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75 comments Add your comment
Moooo
February 3rd, 2012
8:37 am
Eat mor chikin
islandchefin
February 3rd, 2012
8:45 am
Well said! eat mor chikin….
Bo Alexander
February 3rd, 2012
8:49 am
Several DAYS later. What a guy.
Deirdre
February 3rd, 2012
8:59 am
Why the tongue-in-cheek tone? This was sad and scary. The farmer suffered serious injuries, the cow suffered serious injuries.
Old Man
February 3rd, 2012
9:07 am
I don’t get why this is played for laughs either. From your bio, you’re obviously not a city slicker, the only possible rationale for finding anything like this even remotely funny.
Andy Phisterbottom
February 3rd, 2012
9:08 am
Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!! rabid porterhouse steak.
Harry the Hindu
February 3rd, 2012
9:12 am
Karma Karma Karma
Poor cow
February 3rd, 2012
9:16 am
So he shot the cow and then waited several days to call the vet? That is just wrong.
Wendy
February 3rd, 2012
9:36 am
Typical “country bumpkin” to let the animal suffer even longer after shooting it. Why not just call the vet immediately instead of waiting a few days.
cat
February 3rd, 2012
9:36 am
Several days later? How cruel and inhumane is this guy? That is just downright cruel. No sympathy for this man whatsoever.
Mahopinion
February 3rd, 2012
9:39 am
Several days later? What an ahole.
Donal O'Donovan
February 3rd, 2012
9:40 am
As the son of a farmer and having grown up on a Dairy Farm I find your humor in extremely bad taste.
Lumpy
February 3rd, 2012
9:46 am
My sympathy is for the farmer. Once he got away and the cow ran off, I would imagine he was in shock. After being able to get back out there and seeing the condition of the cow, he called the vet. Rabies in cows is very rare. How humanely do you think the hamburger you eat was treated?
Dusty
February 3rd, 2012
9:57 am
Awww come on. Even the cows are not fussing. Didn’t you read under the picture where “the area COWS have donated a nice recliner for the farmer’s recovery”??? They don’t give a “moo” about ol’ rabid Daisy.
Zombie Steve
February 3rd, 2012
9:57 am
Would this be considered a case of the Mad Cow??
deville
February 3rd, 2012
10:00 am
A 70 something year old man beaten up by 1000 pound cow resulting in broken ribs and possible internal injuries. I’m sure he was in the hospital for several days and could not call a vet. He probably didn’t even know the cow was still alive till he got out of the hospital! I feel for the animal but, people still take priority in these situations.
WAR EAGLE
February 3rd, 2012
10:10 am
I think the vet should put the farmer down.
moonbat betty
February 3rd, 2012
10:12 am
That cow was UNARMED and shot in the back!
This thug should be charged with attempted murder.
You don’t shoot an unarmed cow, you beat it down mano y mano like a man.
Good job at humiliating this thug, AJC!
Are you kidding
February 3rd, 2012
10:12 am
Not like he wasn’t doing something…..say like nursing broken ribs, wounds from being cow-tapulted into a barbed-wire fence. Other than that yeah, …he should have been busy caling the vet…
Zombie Steve
February 3rd, 2012
10:13 am
ZOMG – days after??!!!?!! How dare they?!
*goes to Longhorn for dinner later on*
Liz
February 3rd, 2012
10:20 am
He waited several days to get the poor cow put down? Was that “his revenge?”
Very, very, very strange
February 3rd, 2012
10:26 am
Didn’t he call Animal Control after being attacked by a rabid animal??? In order to test an animal for rabies, you need to kill it – you need to examine the brain.
I hope this man received the appropriate vaccinations…..the whole thing seems kind of weird.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
10:32 am
I just finished reading this story, and my first thought was the misery the cow was in SEVERAL days later. Why didn’t someone call the vet sooner and put the cow down? Rabid or not, it didn’t deserve to writhe in pain for that long…But seriously, 3 shots with a shotgun and that didn’t put it down. That’s one thick skinned cow!
Dave in Marietta
February 3rd, 2012
10:35 am
You know darn well other people knew the cow was out there full of buckshot, so someone, if not the farmer himself, could have done something about it. Quit making excuses for him.
Are you kidding
February 3rd, 2012
10:35 am
Get a grip Liz! He wasn’t raising the cow to run for Ms America in 2013. He was going to kill it at some point anyway, so that you could order the burger on your next trip to Chili’s. They are running the 2/$20 again… The fries are awesome too. Wait….don’t potatoes have eyes too?
Elsie
February 3rd, 2012
10:37 am
Well if a vet wasn’t called until several days after he blasted a cow three times with a shotgun, maybe he should be getting out of the farming business or anything involving animals.
The ASPCA should be all over this.
JB
February 3rd, 2012
10:50 am
Note: not all of those expressing sympathy for the cow since the farmer left it there to suffer are meat-eaters. Some people do practice what they preach and don’t go to disgusting, low-grade restaurants like Chilli’s and Longhorns.
ML
February 3rd, 2012
10:57 am
I wonder if the couch donated by those area cows is made of rabid cowhide.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
11:08 am
WOW, you really think the cows donated a couch??
Chuck Is Real Busy
February 3rd, 2012
11:08 am
He was MOOOOOOOOOED OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just couldn’t resist. LOL
Destiny
February 3rd, 2012
11:21 am
Are some of you serious? Sympathy for the cow? What about the Human being who could have easily lost his life. Poor old frail farmer. If I was him I wouldn’t want to see Betsy ever again either. Three shots he thought the heifer was dead. What really disgust me is how some people put animals before humans. That goes for dog fighting, or whatever.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
11:27 am
Can’t speak for others, but I’m not necessarily putting the animal before the farmer. It is understood the farmer got medical treatment. To be shot 3x, human or animal, and not die but remain in pain is cruel. No one should linger in pain like that. I’m advocating for both human and animal kind…
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
February 3rd, 2012
11:29 am
This is why I eat manatee or panda.
BK
February 3rd, 2012
11:31 am
Do you know what the worst part about being a vegetarian is?…Everything. The man is 70, he was putting food on your table before Sarah Mclachlan was crying over cats. Corporate greed has already pushed this man into a dwindling demographic, yet you people are pissed a 900 lbs “animal” with a communicable disease was running around with buckshot in its thick hide? Maybe you should let the cows also take your vote in the next election as well, seems like yours would be a waste anyway.
Taco Bell
February 3rd, 2012
11:32 am
Can we buy that cow for our tacos?
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
11:34 am
@BK ~ get your panties out of ya butt…I feel for the farmer more than the cow, but was only wondering why it took so long to get a vet out there? Not like the wild wild west where a pigeon carrier got news to the town’s only vet.
Truett Cathy
February 3rd, 2012
11:37 am
It was an act of god.
ML
February 3rd, 2012
11:38 am
Ummmm…. February 3rd, 2012 11:08 am…”WOW, you really think the cows donated a couch??”
No, Einstein, I don’t think so. You apparently can’t recognize sarcasm.
jodie 2
February 3rd, 2012
11:39 am
Common sense will tell you that the farmer was trying to get well, how would he know the animal was still alive? Thank the Lord he was not killed. You would think the animal was dead!
mad cow
February 3rd, 2012
11:41 am
The man was 70 and probably beat up pretty badly. He was probably just trying to stay alive. He may not have even known until days later that the cow was still alive. Give him a break. However I do feel bad about the cow.
Kl jacket
February 3rd, 2012
11:44 am
I agree that this reporting was done in bad taste. For one it should not have made the news and for another it shows the ignorance of the reporter. The cow was rabid…that is a significant reporting detail. I must ask, did this reporter “cry” when Atticus Finch shot the rapid dog in “To Kill a Mockingbird”? I did not….my suggestion is to delete this news thread to “mitigate” the AJC’s embarrassment.
BK
February 3rd, 2012
11:47 am
Ummmm…we are talking Maysville here, nearest hospital is what Commerce, possibly Gainesville? Healing time for 70 yr old is increased, myriad of possible deterioration issues, your right he should have promptly worried about a cow that attacked him and called a vet. Also not to rain on your parade but pigeon’s were more of a WWI and II deal, the wild west actually had telegraph and mail delivery systems…
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
11:49 am
@ML – I too was being facetious by asking. But to comment on your statement, remember we are human beings so yeah, we all miss “sarcasm” at some points in our lives.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
11:56 am
I didn’t say anything about HIM calling a vet. I surmised others helped get him medical attention. And as far as the pigeon carrier, I was making a point on slowness. Hell, I could have said Pony Express.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
11:57 am
@BK – I have no idea where Maysville is, nor do I know where Commerce or Gainesville is. Ok? OK!
BK
February 3rd, 2012
12:01 pm
That’s the trouble with surmising…to help I am going to promptly race my pigeon and pony. Just kidding, I see your point, I just have trouble placing human life under that of a cow, I am such a bad Hindu.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
12:06 pm
I already stated that I wasn’t putting the cow before him. Well, glad you at least see my point.
Perry
February 3rd, 2012
12:44 pm
If the farmer was able I’m sure he would’ve done something about the cow. He wouldn’t have wanted it to have infected the rest of his herd. He was obviously busy. Yes, I grew-up on a farm.
rn
February 3rd, 2012
12:51 pm
He had every right to shoot the cow in self-defense, but to let it suffer for several days is just wrong. He and the other people who knew about it should be charged with animal cruelty.
jc
February 3rd, 2012
12:56 pm
the old man will be suffering a lot longer than 3 days…so who gives a crap about what the cow had to go through? besides, that cow probably didnt even know what was going on (rabid out of his mind and all). i think we should test all those people who feel for the cow with rabies and see if they know there were even shot…
Elsie
February 3rd, 2012
1:19 pm
Mr. Parks should be charged with animal cruelty and forbidden to be a cattle farmer.
Elsie
February 3rd, 2012
1:22 pm
Mr. Parks should be charged with animal cruelty and forbidden to farm cattle.
Ummmm....
February 3rd, 2012
1:23 pm
Elsie, get back in the barn…
Veggie
February 3rd, 2012
1:28 pm
EAT MOR KALE
milk made
February 3rd, 2012
1:35 pm
Moo Moo Moomoo Moo Moo
Paddy O
February 3rd, 2012
1:36 pm
Yeah, this is very odd. Why did it take several days to euthanize?
peta, peta, pumpkin eater
February 3rd, 2012
1:46 pm
When in doubt, shoot again.
Bob Olsen
February 3rd, 2012
1:46 pm
How stupid do you have to be to fail to kill a cow with a shotgun?
It sounds like he needs to be locked up for animal abuse.
Cow Pie
February 3rd, 2012
1:48 pm
This simpleton waited several days later? I think it’s a good bet the cow attacked him for reasons other than the rabies. All the animals on his farm should be evaluated for abuse…not just rabies.
i LOVE...
February 3rd, 2012
2:02 pm
Get off the old man’s butt! He was attacked and injured. It is sad that the cow had to suffer for a while, but this man was trying to survive.
you're all idiots
February 3rd, 2012
2:10 pm
Vets cost money!!! A couple shot gun blasts ought to do the trick, but obviously this guy wasn’t close enough or that cow has really tough skin. Either way, any self respecting farmer should own a rifle… for coyotes, coons, and other pests you can get close enough to with a shotgun. You realize of course, at some point in the not too distant future, this cow would have been killed… and eaten…by YOU! Farm life isn’t a pretty picure at times, but us farmers have brought alot more life into this world than we’ve taken. I can assure you, most posting here can’t say the same…
MB
February 3rd, 2012
2:27 pm
I saw the headline and immediately thought of my ex, which also reminds me of a joke. Q – Why do they call PMS? A – Because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.
Hmmmm
February 3rd, 2012
2:40 pm
How many of you have had cracked/broken ribs? Obviously not many of you animal rights folks have because you would know that it is very difficult to breath with them. He probably shot the cow in self defense since most farmers carry a shotgun or rifle to ward off varments, and other threats. He was faced with a 1000 lb rabid cow charging at him, he was already injured, so he shot the cow and left it for dead as he sought medical attention. He probably came back a few days after he was recovered enough to assess how to get rid of the carcass and found the cow still alive. He could have taken the less expensive route of getting the shotgun and finishing him off, but no that cruel, injured fool chose to call the vets to finish the job. He should have loaded the rabid cow on a truck and let him loose at PETA HQ so they could show him how to humanely euthanize a cow while running from it.
Political Mongrel
February 3rd, 2012
3:04 pm
Several days later? What, do you clowns think that a 75-year-old man who’d barely survived a near-fatal encounter with a rabid animal that broke several of his ribs was walking around immediately afterward? Is the idea that he had to have several days to recover from his injuries beyond you?
lynn
February 3rd, 2012
3:45 pm
You people sounding off about him waiting a few days to put the cow down are idiots. This guys had big injuries for a 75 year old. He could have had a punctured lung, concussion, etc. I wouldn’t doubt if he was hospitalized for a bit. See how quick you are to respond after a 900 pound animal has its way with you!
Hmmmm
February 3rd, 2012
4:05 pm
@Dave in Marietta 10:35 am…How do you know the ammo was buck shot? Buckshot from a .410 gauge shot gun is different than buckshot from a 12 gauge (much more stopping power). Most farmers are not walking around with buckshot for standard ammo….it’s over kill and inaccurate for raccoons, foxes, or coyotes…the normal varments encountered by farmers.
Greg S.
February 3rd, 2012
4:15 pm
It was an oddball story right up until the cow was not euthanized immediately. Then it just became cruel.
On My Way
February 3rd, 2012
4:39 pm
With each day I’m grateful to be a vegetarian.
Bob
February 3rd, 2012
5:30 pm
I imagine he didn’t call the vet because he is 70+ years old and sent to the hospital with broken ribs you idiots. I wouldnt call the vet either
farmgal79
February 3rd, 2012
10:45 pm
Just what would you do when attacked by a rabid animal? Pet it and say awww poor thing? I vote you would shoot it too before you were foaming at the mouth right next to it! And I am sure you would not return for round 2 to finish it off! Idiots!
J.B. Stoner-(the white one)
February 4th, 2012
11:24 am
better buy you a cow
Cathy
February 17th, 2012
6:33 pm
anybody else sick of these pop up ads that keep you from being able to read the article? Just for the bs I shall not buy anything from staples.
Chris
February 17th, 2012
7:40 pm
To all the people fussing about how it took several days to get a vet for the cow. The farmer may have been in the hospital?
What you talking about Willis.
March 10th, 2012
9:51 am
I hope the cow at least wore a rubber. The article states that the cow was unarmed is that as opposed to the usual armed cows?
Stupid
March 10th, 2012
9:53 am
I’ve been to Georgia before and I can absolutely confirm that this mans actions matched much of what I witnessed in people from that state! It all makes perfect sense.