Dogs are such compassionate and loving creatures, and we can’t get enough of heartwarming stories about them stepping up to help other animals in need. One such story features a yellow Labrador Retriever who saved a baby calf’s life with his unwavering care and kindness.
This tale was shared by a Reddit user, Oakenboken, who recounted how his Labrador, Bosko, discovered a baby calf in their feedlot, barely clinging to life after suffering from severe hypothermia.
“The calf’s mother was too weak to care for him,” the poster explained. “The cold and wet had nearly taken him. His nose was frozen stiff, and his eyes looked lifeless, but he was still breathing—barely.”
Acting quickly, the poster’s mother and grandmother brought the fragile calf inside. They wrapped him in blankets, applied heating pads, and administered antibiotics in a desperate attempt to save his life. Through it all, Bosko stayed by the calf’s side, refusing to leave him.
Hours passed, and finally, a glimmer of hope emerged: the calf began to move, and his breathing steadied. Feeling reassured, Bosko went to rest, and their other dog, Duke, stepped in to take over, keeping watch through the night.
Over the next few days, the calf’s condition steadily improved. By the third day, he was moving around on his own and eating without any issues. After several weeks of bottle feeding, he had recovered enough to return to the herd.
The calf, now named Zeke, remained smaller than average after his ordeal but was otherwise healthy. In fact, he grew into one of the friendliest cows on the farm. Zeke quickly became a mascot and a sidekick to one of the family’s bulls, solidifying his place in their hearts.
For anyone worried about Zeke’s fate, the poster reassured readers that they had no plans to eat him. Zeke had been saved, all thanks to Bosko’s sweet and selfless actions.
Interestingly, Bosko himself was a rescue. As Oakenboken shared, “He showed up near our front gate a few years back with his brother, Duke. Both were skin and bones, full of worms, and had chewed-up ropes around their necks.” The family took them in, nursed them back to health, and now, both dogs are thriving as the “co-kings of the castle.”
It’s almost as if Bosko’s act of kindness was his way of paying it forward—proving once again how remarkable and selfless dogs can be.