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A farmer who was attacked by one of his cows says he will ‘never trust a farm animal again’.
Donegal farmer of 40 years – Brendan McLaughlin – sustained broken bones in his foot and leg after the heifer pinned him to the ground.
McLaughlin is publicising the incident as he says he wants to ‘raise awareness for other farmers’.
‘Never trust a cow’
He told the BBC: “The heifer had calved and the calf took sick. I have escape gates and everything but I didn’t see this coming.
“I’ll never trust a heifer again. She came behind me to the gate. She looked at me and didn’t move. I ran then as hard as I could.
“I ran through a feeding barrier which was only 12 inches wide, but she got me. She pinned my foot to the barrier with her head.”
‘Pain was severe’
According to McLaughlin, he has never experienced such an incident. Despite only sustaining injuries to his leg and foot, he believes he is ‘lucky to be alive’.
He added: “My message for farmers is never to trust a cow or any animal on a farm.
“You can have all the safety measures in the world but never trust a cow.”
