Cheryl Stephen

Cheryl has been bringing stray animals home as far back as anyone can remember, so her family wasn't particularly surprised when she brought home a Holstein calf, later named Bucky, that otherwise would have been butchered for veal.

That day marked the beginning of "Bucky's Porch," an animal sanctuary in eastern Ohio where "critters" get to live their best lives.

Bucky is now a fully grown, two-ton steer that likes to hang out on the front porch and sneak inside whenever the opportunity presents itself. Bucky and the other animals at Bucky's Porch have been entertaining social media friends and followers for years.

Cheryl, a writer by trade, began writing children's books about the animals living on her family's 85-acre "farm," as a way to offset the expense of feeding all the hungry tails in their care.

The author also rescues injured and orphaned wildlife that otherwise would be left to die due to Ohio's cruel wildlife laws.

The Bucky's Porch series shares the joy, and sometimes the heartbreak, of saving and loving animals. Children and adults, alike, love the stories and adventures.