Farm Animals

As rescue workers saw during Hurricane Katrina, the bond between people and their pets can be a powerful one. In many cases, people refused to be rescued from their homes and taken out of harm's way if it meant leaving their cat, dog or herd of farm animals behind. Avoiding that scenario in the future was the impetus behind federal legislation signed this month by President Bush requiring states to establish plans for the evacuation of pets and farm animals as part of their emergency response procedures.

Jenny stepped quickly off the trailer into her new home, striding over to Jack, who seemed interested in the fresh arrival. The two donkeys leaned their gray faces toward each other for an instant, then Jack followed her around a bit before Jenny trotted off, exploring the far ends of her fenced pasture. The gray-and-white Jerusalem donkey became the 18th livestock resident of the new Burleigh Manor Animal Sanctuary and Eco Retreat in Ellicott City, but that's if you don't count the tabby cat, Barnie.

You say the cat's gone missing, and your nights are haunted by eerie yips and howls? Could be coyotes, pardner. Eastern coyotes - descendants of familiar Western varmints who picked up some weight and wolf genes on their century-long trot eastward - have become a growing nuisance in Maryland. Truth be told, coyotes have been here for more than two decades. But their range and numbers are increasing. They're active in every Maryland county now, especially Washington's suburbs. They've settled Rock Creek National Park and roam nearby streets in the capital itself.

Millions of tons of one of theChesapeake Bay'slargest sources of pollution continue to be dumped onto farm lands without proper regulation. Farm animals produce 44 million tons of manure annually in the bay watershed, and most of it is collected and disposed of on farmland - or left where it falls. This ranks the bay region in the top 10 percent in the nation for manure-related nitrogen runoff, and the problem of proper management of this waste is exacerbated by the fact that three highly concentrated animal feeding operation areas contribute more than 90 percent of the manure.

Jenny stepped quickly off the trailer into her new home, striding over to Jack, who seemed interested in the fresh arrival. The two donkeys leaned their gray faces toward each other for an instant, then Jack followed her around a bit before Jenny trotted off, exploring the far ends of her fenced pasture. The gray-and-white Jerusalem donkey became the 18th livestock resident of the new Burleigh Manor Animal Sanctuary and Eco Retreat in Ellicott City, but that's if you don't count the tabby cat, Barnie.

Millions of tons of one of theChesapeake Bay'slargest sources of pollution continue to be dumped onto farm lands without proper regulation. Farm animals produce 44 million tons of manure annually in the bay watershed, and most of it is collected and disposed of on farmland - or left where it falls. This ranks the bay region in the top 10 percent in the nation for manure-related nitrogen runoff, and the problem of proper management of this waste is exacerbated by the fact that three highly concentrated animal feeding operation areas contribute more than 90 percent of the manure.

Within the next week, please send old photos of kids with farm animals to Way Back When, Sun Magazine, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimoire, Md. 21278. You must include caption information and your daytime phone number. Also, enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you'd like your photo returned. If your photo is your only copy, please send a good-quality duplicate, not the origional. No faxes or newspaper clippings, please.

The Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster will be the site of the annual Antique/Craft Fair and Farm Show next Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Attractions will include farm animals, exhibits of farm equipment and machinery and demonstrations of sheep shearing and goat milking, 180 antique and craft dealers , Square dancers and country music groups. Country food, including fried chicken, fresh lemonade, will be on sale. There will also be tours of the farmhouse conducted by costumed guides and traditional craft demonstrations.

As an animal activist, I was thrilled that Baltimore City chose to try the case against two teenagers accused of setting fire to a dog, and the fact that the public was so up-in-arms about what happened to poor Phoenix ("Strong response to dog's burning," Feb. 20).  Phoenix was heinously tortured and suffered in a way no living creature — human or animal — should have to. Luckily, there are laws against such crimes, and it seems those laws will be getting tougher.

Anne Arundel has become an increasingly urban place over the past two generations, which may explain why its annual farm fair receives less fanfare than those in counties such as Carroll and Frederick. Nonetheless, the 41st edition of the fair, which ended last weekend, was evidence that county residents continue to value their agricultural heritage.Though the Anne Arundel fair boasts rides and a midway, its main draw remains the agricultural exposition itself -- the hundreds of sewing, canning, baking and craft projects, farm animals and picture-perfect garden vegetables.

One day last winter the Balunsats carried home a gangly baby goat. They named the fuzzy thing Snowbird, cradled her while she slurped a bottle and allowed her inside to snuggle under a heat lamp. With Chesapeake City grass, hay and the occasional potato chip, Snowbird filled out into a handsome animal with a thick white coat, ridged horns that curl between her ears and lips that seem ever-pursed in an ironic smile. When she bleats "Meh, meh, meh," Lisa Balunsat - who will tell anyone she raised that goat as a child - hears, "Ma, Ma, Ma. " Cecil County officials mainly hear a zoning violation.

Is anyone in Anne Arundel County -- or anywhere -- missing a goat? A female in very poor condition that's being called Tuscany was found wandering near Linthicum on Thursday and county officials are trying to find out who she belongs to and how she got there. Animal Control responded to a call on Friday after an 11-year-old found Tuscany on River Road in northern Linthicum. The goat had a chain weighing more than 23 pounds hanging from her neck. Though the chain wasn't tight, it was so heavy that it had become embedded in the goat's neck.

Stop. Unplug. Go outside. A welcome escape from our increasingly digital world is just that easy. Reconnecting with nature could mean sinking your fingers into the soil, going “off the grid” deep in the forest or galaxy-gazing. All this and more is right in your backyard in Howard County - from the parks and lakes to working farms and nature-oriented clubs - making it easy to see just what's so great about the great outdoors. 1. Robinson Nature Center The newest environmental attraction in Howard County is the Robinson Nature Center.

The nice young man at Bowman's Butchers in Aberdeen brought out a wire basket, wide and deep, piled high with vacuum-sealed plastic packages. The other customers were agog. I knew what was coming, and it still looked like mountain of meat to me. It all adds up to a single lamb, though, minus head and organs. That lamb, like its fellows that have found their way into our freezer, led a happy and pampered life, coddled by a member of the 4-H Club, lovingly bathed, groomed and shown at the Harford County Fair, and ultimately sold to the highest bidder.

When Elizabeth Zinser, 30, of White Hall, first joined the 4-H club at 8 years old, her family only had a few dogs as pets. But that quickly changed. The Zinser family had recently packed up and moved to Pylesville from Baltimore County and Zinser's mother, Rosemary Amos, wanted her daughters to become involved with the club. "I thought it was a well - rounded thing for kids to do," Amos, 59, of Delta, Pa., said. "She was in the second grade when we moved to Harford County, and I wanted to get [she and her sister]

As an animal activist, I was thrilled that Baltimore City chose to try the case against two teenagers accused of setting fire to a dog, and the fact that the public was so up-in-arms about what happened to poor Phoenix ("Strong response to dog's burning," Feb. 20).  Phoenix was heinously tortured and suffered in a way no living creature — human or animal — should have to. Luckily, there are laws against such crimes, and it seems those laws will be getting tougher.

Barnyard stars a bunch of farm animals that look like those cheap plastic toys you can buy for a buck at any neighborhood convenience store, trinkets that will at least keep the kids amused for a few minutes. How appropriate, for that's about the best that can be said about this movie. It includes a few moments that might make the kids chuckle, but, for the most part, it's uninspired, not much to look at and laugh-free - as though the creators dreamed up the film's tagline, "The original party animals," and figured that was enough.

Is anyone in Anne Arundel County -- or anywhere -- missing a goat? A female in very poor condition that's being called Tuscany was found wandering near Linthicum on Thursday and county officials are trying to find out who she belongs to and how she got there. Animal Control responded to a call on Friday after an 11-year-old found Tuscany on River Road in northern Linthicum. The goat had a chain weighing more than 23 pounds hanging from her neck. Though the chain wasn't tight, it was so heavy that it had become embedded in the goat's neck.

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to enact new rules to curb pollution from development and large-scale animal farms to help restore the Chesapeake Bay, the agency's chief announced Monday. EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson said the rules governing storm water and farm animal waste would serve as a "backstop" to pollution control measures that Maryland and other bay states are expected to take over the next two years. She made the announcement in Washington at a bay cleanup conference that ends Tuesday.

The Maryland State Fair is on, which means it's almost time for Audrey Bennett to say goodbye to her goat, Meatball. She hates these partings. To keep some emotional distance, she usually doesn't name her market-bound goats and lambs. That helps, a bit. Even so, it's natural for an 11-year-old girl to bond with the creatures she has fed, exercised and groomed in the long run-up to the annual fair. And, really, who would want her to remain dry-eyed when the livestock - her animals, after all - are led off to meet the butcher's blade?