These Cows Were Drowning in Their Own Waste—Now They've Found a Loving Home (Video)
A supporter of Farm Sanctuary recently reached out to us regarding 10 cattle who were the victims of cruelty and neglect in Chester County, PA.
Nine calves had died in a barn, and the remaining 10 cattle in the building were being removed.
And this horrific scene was not on a large industrial farm, but instead at a “hobby farm” where they used the Ayrshire cattle for show, and had other cattle and horses as well. The farm owner and his family had taken the cows to fairs, where they were paraded in front of judges, and received prizes. As is often the case, no one knew how dire the situation was behind the scenes.
Another victim was this young gelding who was found skeletal, with leg and tendon issues and severely overgrown hooves. He was so tiny that they assumed he was a few months old, but the vet confirmed that he was in fact over a year. He remains with his rescuers from LAPS.
Thankfully, the Large Animal Protection Society (LAPS), an all-volunteer organization in Pennsylvania with investigative authority, learned of the cattle through the police, along with another Pennsylvania group, Helping Hands for Animals. They had responded to a complaint from a good Samaritan about a dead horse seen in a pasture. Thankfully, the horse turned out to be sleeping — but the complaint launched an investigation into the cruel and neglectful practices taking place in the idyllic Pennsylvania countryside.
And when investigators got there, what they found was not valued, prize-winning cattle, but instead 19 bovines in a barn with mud and feces so deep that nine calves appeared to have literally drowned in the muck.
Photos like these came in and like so many places we have gone before, these animals were forced to live in conditions unfit for any being.
Once we saw the photos, we couldn’t believe the conditions these animals had come from and knew that we could really help take these animals — once treated as trash — and allow them to be the true treasures that they are.
The corpses of the dead babies buried so deep that it was hard to see what was feces and what was actually the body of another calf.
We will start with the babies, each just a few weeks old. Only three of 12 calves survived. One surviving bull calf — a little Holstein whom the farmer had purchased from auction just a few weeks before — was found snuggling up to a deceased calf for comfort. Likely a dairy baby, he had already been separated from his mother and shipped to auction, only to be forced into another cruel environment.
Our sweet boy leans against the body of a deceased calf surrounded by other calves who perished in the muck.
The first layers of muck removed, this tiny little Holstein calf is out of the darkness.
Two other calves who also had supposedly been recent purchases looked more like Ayrshire crosses (after their showers). They also look like siblings, one male and one female, and they huddled closely together after their rescue — they are an inseparable pair. All three calves were so covered in feces they looked like they had been dipped in it.
It is impossible to believe that these are two mostly white calves under all that filth. These two remain at the Nemo Farm Animal Hospital at Cornell University, and once they are vetted, they will mooooove to their new home at Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue.
Brother and sister showered and feeling much better, and clearly feeling loved and seen for the first time by the amazing folks at LAPS.
The other cattle in the barn were older and able to withstand the conditions they were forced to live in. The other survivors included a year-old bull, two adult female cows, and four 1-year-old females. We are awaiting results of testing to see if anyone is pregnant and, if so, how far along — although we know that one of the older females is definitely months into her pregnancy.
All showered and recovering, the family clings to each other. So hard to believe that just days before, they were living in the barn pictured in the photos toward the top of this post.
Although the farmer claimed that he wasn’t sure how the cattle had been closed inside the barn, and that they couldn’t have been in there for more than three days, it was evident that they had been confined much, much longer than that. There was 2-3 feet of wet muck and feces all through the barn, even deeper in some areas.
I call this girl the Announcer, since she is our big talker. It’s so hard to imagine how she was feeling when this photo was taken — just out of the barn and starting to be cleaned up.
Gates were stuck in place because the manure was so deep. The smell was unimaginable. Fortunately, the farmer agreed to surrender the 10 cattle, though, shockingly, he was permitted to keep many more animals who were found outside of the barn. Charges have been filed against him, including failure to provide veterinary care and failure to provide sanitary conditions to his animals.
First week at Farm Sanctuary and a lot of brushing to get the last of the dirty off them. These girls are starting to settle in. Notice that the Announcer is announcing her excitement.
And last week, it was time for these cattle to leave the protective setting of LAPS, and move on to the next stages of their journey. Mike Stura from Skylands and Kevin Weil, Jim Dumbleton, and Amy Gaetzfrom Farm Sanctuary’s Watkins Glen team picked up the 10 survivors.
Moving like a wave, this still-too-skinny group of girls has a long way to go to get over their past, but we are so happy that they are starting their new chapter with us.
Skylands will be keeping the two twin calves and the feisty year-old bull, but also helped transport two of the yearlings. (Our two very large trailers were full, since we had also brought gates to help load the cattle from the field where they were grazing.) The Holstein calf will also be coming back to Watkins Glen this week. He was also dropped off at Cornell, since he still is quite lethargic and quiet for a calf.
The four young girls, each around a year old, are slowly — and I mean slowly — learning to trust people again.
Because of the generosity and compassion of members of Farm Sanctuary’s Farm Animal Adoption Network (FAAN), homes for the four yearling girls and the Holstein calf have been secured. Before traveling to their new homes, however, they have a few more medical needs to attend to.
I don’t think a face could be cuter. One of the yearlings and quite the darling. I cannot wait to name these girls. (We like to really get to know them before that happens.)
The little Holstein is still dealing with a very tough case of pneumonia, which is concerning, and he is a bit bloated, but hopefully all of these issues will resolve quickly. We also have a lot of GI issues to look into, but again we are hopeful that everyone will make a full recovery. We will continue to update our amazing members, who make all of our rescue efforts possible.
Loving the wide open spaces of our Watkins Glen sanctuary.
So now here in Watkins Glen, we have six beautiful girls who are trying very hard to adjust to their new surroundings. We are learning each of their personalities and where they fit into this amazing little herd. And although they will never be show cattle, they have something much more valuable than ribbons and trophies: They have love, respect, security, and care. They are individuals.
Our new friends running on pasture.
Anytime an animal (even a human animal) is seen as a commodity that can bring financial gain to another, they are seen as being worth just what that gain is. They are not seen as beings — as someones — but as things. And no matter their financial value, a thing is still a thing, and can easily be discarded.
The bravest is always the one to make sure the photographer is on the up and up. Paparazzi beware.
Being seen as someone means that you are priceless to those who love you, and these beautiful cattle are now each someone — not something. And we are all feeling very blessed that they are safe and sound, and we have the honor to get to know them for the precious gifts that they are.
Family — loved — cherished — priceless. They are all someone.
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