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Mauled Cow Proves Hard To Kill

By KYLE MARTIN, Hernando Today

Published: December 18, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - An old cow thought to have been attacked by dogs was shot - 11 times - to end its suffering.

Kenneth Grubbs keeps about 85 head of cattle on his rural spread. Saturday morning, one of them was discovered mauled in a glen on the property.

"Her whole backside was just chewed up," said Grubbs' wife, Ilamae. "She couldn't have lived."

So Kenneth Grubbs loaded his .22-caliber pistol and headed out to do his duty. The first shot went into the brain. That didn't do the trick. Neither did the second shot, nor the third.

After six shots, the 30-year-old cow was still breathing. Grubbs called the law. Deputy Stephen Dillon responded.

"There was a large 12-inch gash" in its hindquarters, Dillon reported.

The wounds and the pool of blood surrounding the cow all pointed to an attack, he said.

The deputy contacted his supervisor to ask if he could kill the cow. The sergeant gave the go-ahead. Dillon drew his department-issued Glock 22 and put two shots through the cow's forehead.

No luck.

The next two shots went through the temple.

But the cow was still alive.

A final shot went into its neck and through an artery.

The cow bled to death, Grubbs said.

Ilamae Grubbs said the natural order of life will be preserved, with the cow's body left for the buzzards.

"You need to feed the buzzards if you have anything decent to feed them," she said.

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