CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 3 -- The University of Virginia issued the following news release:
An annoyance of gnats pesters in the hot, humid air as the late summer sun beats down on the pasture like a 10-pound sledgehammer, driving a small herd of cows into what little shade they can find.
They are not alone. Ty Hopkins and Megan McGrath keep them company, gently petting the head of a spud-brown cow named Russet, who returns the affection with long, slow licks of their hands and arms.
"Russet is a sweet one. She's very affectionate," McGrath says.
She's also therapeutic. So are the chickens, vegetable garden, beehives and almost everything at the Autism Sanctuary, a state-licensed day support program in Albemarle County for adults wit...