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A lot of kids have pets. They proudly share photos of their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and reptiles. For most young children and teens, their animals provide a sense of comfort and security. And you can’t forget how fun the critters are to play with. It’s not uncommon for kids and their pets to grow up together, creating lasting memories.

A 15-year-old teenage boy from Iowa has a different kind of pet — a heifer (cow for any non-country folk) named Audri. A video taken by his dad Jeremy sent the internet into a tailspin and for good reason.

Mitchell grew up on a farm where he worked hard and learned to appreciate animals of all kinds.

Although the Miners no longer live on a farm today, that was the environment in which Jeremy grew up. As he stated, “We have those values instilled in us and we are trying to do what we can to preserve that.” For the Miner family, it’s important to continue holding up farm-life values.

The Iowa State Fair

Months before the start of the Iowa State Fair, which draws a crowd of more than one million people annually, Mitchell decided he wanted to show a cow. So, he borrowed Audri from a dairy farm not far away in Blairstown. He spent months with her and before long, the two had become best friends.

Mitchell and Audri prepared for the big event.

For roughly two months, the duo worked together so they could put on their best performance. Every day, the teen walked Audri around, bathed her, brushed her, clipped her, and of course, gave her a lot of love. The cow quickly bonded with her new friend. Mitchell said, “She likes to lay down quite a bit. I don’t really understand the bond with my animal either. She just loves my company.”

Getting a cow ready for a State Fair takes a lot of effort.

For three days straight before the fair, the duo got up at 3:00 a.m. On the day of the show, they did their best. While they didn’t come in first place, they did take fifth. We won’t mention there were only seven cows competing. To Mitchell, that didn’t matter. He was just excited that he got to do something special with a cow he’d fallen in love with.

The days with little sleep finally caught up to both Mitchell and Audri.

After the show, the teen and his cow went back to the barn to relax. Remember when Mitchell said that Audri liked to lay down…he wasn’t kidding. On a soft pile of hay, she did just that. Mitchell took his cue and laid down next to her. Soon, they were both sound asleep. That’s when his father, Jeremy, came in and decided to take a video.

The days with little sleep finally caught up to both Mitchell and Audri.

Proud of the hard work his son put in and the unique bond he shared with Audri, Jeremy posted the video on his Facebook page. Everyone who saw it was touched and so, they began to share it with others on the internet. That’s when things went wild. In just one day, it already had more than 15,000 likes.

“Moooooooooo over you’re hugging the hay,” wrote one YouTuber. Another said, “That’s so sweet. Laura, Mitchell’s mom, believes the reason the two became so close is because they spent a lot of time together. Although Audri went back to the dairy farm, she made a lasting impression on a 15-year-old boy.

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Sources: YouTube, Shareably