The Lion And The Lamb

One day, Farm Sanctuary’s National Shelter Director, Susie Coston discovered truck after truck being filled with baby animals ready to be driven up to the auction yard. These newborns, some not even a day old, were visibly afraid and could be heard crying for their mothers. The workers forcefully shoved them into pens by hitting them with canes or shocking them with sharp prods.

Female cows are raised from the minute they are born to be dairy cows. Like all females in nature, cows produce milk while they are pregnant in order to nurture their babies or, calves when they are born.

Like humans, female cows have a nine month gestation period. Today female cows are artifically impreganted every 12 months of their lives. This is done through genetic manipulation and intensive production technologies while they are still lactating from previously birthing. Their bodies are still producing milk during seven months of their nine month pregnancy.

The scene Susie was watching was some of the calves that were born on the dairy farm and being driven to an auction.

The situation worsened when she came across the baby calves who were obviously very ill. She found one, a little calf who couldn’t even stand, collapsed and left freezing in the -20 degree weather near a loading dock. The other two were shoved into the auction ring when the sale began.

This is all result of the high demand for milk. Modern cows produce about 100 pounds of milk every single day. Ten times more than they would naturally. Through this process the real reason these cows produce milk is forgotten. Why does every single female mammal on earth, including humans, produce milk?

To give to their own children, just like a women would to her child. These calves born to dairy cows are separated from their mothers immediatly after they give birth. Like any other being the mother cow already has a connection with her baby and has the instinctive to protect, raise and nurture them. Instead of the natural intention of the mother using her milk to feed her own calf, they are separated within five minutes and they are forever separated, forced to live the rest of their lives as a product with a price tag.

Half of the calves that are born into the industry female are raised to replace older dairy cows. The other half of the calves that are male, are useless to the dairy industry, and raised and slaughtered for meat. Most are killed for beef, with close to one million being used for veal.

Susie was experiencing this first hand when she watched these baby cows, just separated from their mothers.

One was so sick and weak that his own legs could barley support him as workers prodded him repetitively to get him on his feet. The other, weighing only 37 pounds, was so small that the bidders made a joke of him, mocking him and calling him “trash.”

Treated with the same cruelty as all the others, these ones were only laughed at in their distress and deemed as being worthless when they couldn't even sell for $1.

Susie stepped in to claim these calves and immediately rushed them to safety and ensured that they began receiving the emergency medical treatment they so desperately needed to have any chance of survival. If she hadn’t shown up, there is no question that these boys would have wound up in a garbage heap or the grip of a renderer, with their suffering simply ignored.

Alexander, Blitzen and Lawrence, were these calves, once doomed to a life of pain are now living their lives on the farm on their path to recovery and a better life.

If the loving members of Farm Santuary were not there to save and rehabilitate these animals they would have not lived to see the next day. This is just one story of things like this happening every day. The people at Farm Sanctuary have devoted their lives to helping these amazing creatures.

There are so many necessities that are needed in caring for these animals and without our donations and support to these causes there can be no moving forward. One person cannot change the world but they can influence the world. As we come together and help our fellow beings on earth we will start to realize the immensity of things we can do and inspire others to do.

On October 15th Farm Sanctuary is holding A Walk For Farm Animals in Ventura County. I am personally going to be participating in the walk and I urge you to do so too, but even if you cant be there yourself a donation makes the biggest difference. All of the proceeds donated here is going to Farm Sanctuary on the day of the event.

These people are examples of how one day all creatures will be able to live in peace with one another.

The Lion And The Lamb.