Two Kansas residents arrange care for nearly 100 calves affected by wildfires

Erin Boggs and Rachelle Schlochtermeier, two Meade, Kansas, residents, are helping local ranchers affected by the Starbuck wildfire by taking in baby calves.

"Part of the point of this project was that [producers] had some baby calves that made it through the fire,” Schlochtermeier said. “We wanted to take that off of their minds and give them the peace of knowing those calves were taken care of so they could focus on something else. This is just a small thing that we can do. I am overwhelmed with the people that have volunteered to help."

Coordinating volunteers from the local community and 4-H group, Boggs and Schlochtermeier have arranged care for 86 calves whose mothers either died or were left too injured to care for them. The calves range in age from a few days old to a couple of months, and Boggs and Schlochtermeier are already working to ensure their care will continue into the future.

"It takes a lot of time to take care of a bucket calf and [the ranchers] don't have that,” Boggs said. “It's one small thing that we could do and I want to show my kids that you help people when they need, no matter how much time you do or don't have."