Dottie and Chrissy are like a lot of girls, eager to go out and get some sunshine on their skin on such a stunning day. These are two of our rescues, and it brings tears to my eyes to see them fully grown, and living their lives so peacefully.
Special thank you to their sponsors Eddy (for Dottie) and Megan K ( for Chrissy).
I love the huge circles around Gram's eyes... and must admit that in the past this is exactly what I've looked like after a rough night! We laugh because the circles make him look constantly goofy - and to be honest, he sometimes is. 😂😂
Yesterday we moved the male herd of rescued steers to a new paddock, and Gram got left behind because he was so busy scratching his bum on a branch, and it felt too good to stop!
PS, Gram was named after the musician, Gram Parsons.
The need for a safe home for cows is massive, but there's just nowhere for them to go. When we heard that 21 previously rescued cows were at a sanctuary that is closing, and desperately needed a new home, we knew we needed to think big. So... we're setting up a whole new animal sanctuary for them!! Those 21 cows and steers will be our first permanent residents. Some of them are whole families, ie mothers who were able to keep and raise their babies. We couldn't bear it if they were separated now. If you'd like to contribute to saving and providing a home for these cows, please make your donation here, and say "For 2nd cow sanctuary" in your comment. As always, your donation is eligible to be tax claimable. Givealittle will provide you with a tax receipt. Easy peasy. We love the support that Givealittle provides in our work to save more animals, and we love you for helping with this amazing new project.
You all chipped in and raised the funds to save Firebird and Diesel. The kill truck was cancelled, and our transporter has picked them up to move them to Cow Care TODAY. It was extremely stressful, but also incredibly uplifting to see how many wonderful people cared. It truly touched my heart.
While this was happening, I received a message about 2 other steers in a similar position. The owner didn't want any money, she just wanted 2 year old Trooper and Moose (in photo) to have a safe place to live out their lives. So... they're coming, too! You didn't help save 2 steers, you helped save 4! And hopefully we'll even find enough sponsors to cover all 4 boys. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Please note that this givealittle page has been on going for 2 years. The total that shows includes ALL funds raised for various cow rescues over the past years. It is not the amount raised for Firebird and Diesel. The amount raised today for this particular rescue is currently $975. THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed!!
Thanks to the generosity of the kind people on this page, Noelle was saved on Christmas Day. Literally just in time, as sadly her sisters were sent away on Boxing Day. Noelle is now with the female herd at Cow Care, living her best life! She has a sponsor who funds her grazing, and lots of loving attention from the Cow Care Manager. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.
Beautiful Noelle was scheduled for slaughter this week. I've put a reserve on her, in the hopes that together we can raise the funds to save her. We've named her Noelle so we'll always remember that she was a Christmas Cow. If you'd like to donate as a Christmas gift for a fellow animal lover, let me know. I'll send you a gift certificate showing that you donated in their name for Christmas. Thank you so much.
I'd like to contribute $50 to help save Noelle.
Cheers
Christine Bradley
We rescued 6 cows from a tourist farm park, who were being sent to slaughter because they failed to get pregnant… and then while waiting for processing, a bull got in, and they were all reportedly pregnant after all! Four of them are with us at Cow Care. With the dates we were given, we calculated they should be due in December. Moira and Jolene already look heavily pregnant (twins?!?), but Daisy and Poppy didn’t look pregnant at all. Flat stomachs, adolescent udders. So it was an absolute and total shock on Sunday when Daisy wouldn’t come down from the hill. A closer look revealed her suddenly enlarged udders… and an even closer inspection revealed a baby in the paddock! To say we were completely gobsmacked is an understatement. His name is Koa, and he's absolutely beautiful.
I’m sorry that I’m so slack about updates. I know that many of you follow our FB page, but not all. Our cow rescues continue. The most recent was a cow that had been left behind when a property was sold. The sellers just left her behind! The new owner didn’t want her, but also didn’t want to kill her. We were asked if we could take her… and we said yes. We named her Bandy, because she’d been abandoned. My heart breaks for these beautiful animals that are discarded like an old phone book. I’m grateful for the support of you, through this Givealittle page, which enables us to rescue them. Thank you!!!
Late at night I got several messages: “Urgent!” “Emergency!” “Please call now!” A woman was absolutely beside herself, as her 3 beloved pet cows were going to be killed the next day. It’s not mine to share the sad personal details, but after trying everything to rehome them, she’d been told her only option was homekill the next day. I’ve rarely spoken to someone so distraught. She’d had her cows since they were babies, and they were now 4 years old. They're friendly, like big puppies, and trust humans. To kill them would have been an epic tragedy. Last minute she heard about us, and asked if we could take them. After some late late night planning we agreed, and the homekill was cancelled. A few hours later I loaded bales of hay in the dark, rendezvoused with Cow Care and their float, and travelled to the cow’s distant location. After repeated attempts to load them in impossible physical conditions, we accepted that we needed a plan B. Almost miraculously, we found a farm a few properties down the road with roadside yards and a loading ramp. The incredibly kind farmer and family agreed to help. They blocked off the busy road, herded the 3 cows out and all the way down the road, and into their yards. The incredible Cow Care manager managed to hire a stock truck to move them urgently the next day. They're safely with us at Cow Care now, settling in happily. It was close, but thanks to everyone who helped, we made it!
These 2 calves had been purchased by a neighbour, to raise as meat for the freezer. Every day as I drove past them my heart would break, knowing their future. They started breaking out of their property, and would wander up the road to the gates of The Animal Sanctuary. It was as if they knew that safety and a slaughter-free future was on the other side. When that happened twice more last week, I just couldn’t take it. I contacted the owner and offered to buy them (against the better sense of our bank account). He said YES!! So how could I not?! We loaded Tim & Tam this morning, and they’re already safely at Cow Care. The best news is that I already have a sponsor for Tim, and am sure I will find one for Tam. The neighbour won’t get any more calves, which is wonderful news. My heart is full. Truly full.
Thank you so much to the wonderful people who donated and helped us raise the funds for Bella. We're there!! I've called the farmer and confirmed that we are taking Bella. She will now be able to join our rescue herd, and I'll find her a sponsor for Cow Care. I can sleep easy tonight, knowing that Bella is safe, will not be sent to slaughter, and instead will have a long and happy life. What a relief! Time to celebrate...
We raised the funds for Chrissy, our Christmas Cow, so she is now safe. We also found her a sponsor, so her long life at Cow Care is assured.
Next we are hoping to save her half sister, Bella. I've never seen a cow with Bella's markings. She has multicolours including golden brown, mahogany, and a smattering of distinctive freckles on her face and tummy. Bella truly is a beauty. Fundraising is well under way, and I have a firm belief that we'll get there!!
People donated quickly to ensure that we had the funds to purchase Nutmeg, and save her from slaughter. While I was out feeding the animals, people continued to donate even when they saw that the target for Nutmeg had been reached, saying things like “For the next cow” and “For any cow that needs it”. Some contacted me directly and asked if we could save another cow as well. One person suggested that we save a “Christmas Cow”, and name her Chrissy. Well, we’d love to!!! Last week a beautiful cow snuck in with my herd, from a nearby group of beef cows. She has a cross on her face. (That’s her, in the background of this fuzzy photo). I had the feeling that somehow she “knew” my cows were safe and she wasn’t, especially when she came running straight to me. So… I spoke to the farmer last night, and they’ve agreed to let me purchase her and put her into Cow Care. We don’t have a Cow Care sponsor for Chrissy yet, but I’ll worry about that after she’s ours. As soon as the farmer lets me know Chrissy’s weight, I’ll know her purchase price, and what funds are still needed. Thanks to everyone who suggested this, and contributed toward saving her. To me, this is truly the spirit of Christmas! I’ll update as soon as I can, with a better photo
I promised that I’d share info about Nutmeg, the very unusually coloured cow that we want to save from slaughter. Nutmeg has a bright gold stripe that goes right down her spine. It’s hard to see from the side, but this photo shows the “glow” along her backbone. We had just $420 left to raise to save Nutmeg from the slaughter truck. Today I received a $200 donation from Jae, $20 from Mel, and $30 from Veya. So that leaves just $170 to ensure that Nutmeg is safe. We already have a sponsor who will send Nutmeg to Cow Care, so we’re really close!!
The first donation to save Hazel, of $201.20, came from a kind man named Dan. Check out this lovely message:
“As part of World Vegan Day I did a running challenge via the UK Vegan runners club (a club started by Fiona Oakes, which I am a member of). Runners had from 12:01 on the 1st of Nov (London-time) until Nov 2, to run as much as they wanted or could. I work for a local community support team, and people at my office sponsored me for each km, with the money going to The Animal Sanctuary. I ran 32km (I was hoping to run more), and we raised around $200. My two little people ran a few laps around their grandparent’s house to help raise some money too.” Huge thanks to Dan - and his children!
A number of people have asked “Will you be able to save Bingo’s sister, Hazel?” We’re certainly going to try! Hazel is a real beauty, and if you look closely it appears that she’s wearing a hat a bit crooked on her head. Hazel is very calm, gentle, never causes trouble, and likes to just watch the world go by. She reminds us of a wise woman, and we’d love to get her into Cow Care. Any additional funds that come in will go toward purchasing Hazel, to keep her off the slaughter truck at the end of this month. We’ll also look for a sponsor so that she can live a long life with her sister.
It took you wonderful people just 12 hours to save Bingo. Amazing! Thank you.
Here's an example of today's kindness:
Shani and Aria, aged 9 and 10, gathered their pocket money to make a donation toward saving Bingo. They have so much love and compassion for animals, it touches my heart. Look at the sweet message and drawings on their envelope. Children like this give me hope for the future.
Thank you all for your kindness and your generosity. Bingo thanks you, too!!
Bingo already has a sponsor for Cow Care, so she’s all set for a long and happy life. We'll continue this campaign to see if we can save her sister Hazel as well, and then find her a sponsor, so they can live at Cow Care together. I’ll tell you about Hazel in the morning…
A truck driver, pulling a double stock truck, stuck his naked butt out of the window at high speed. Yup, that’s a full moon! He was charged and ordered to pay a $200 fine to an animal sanctuary. It came to us. I thought it would be lovely balance if the fine from a man who transports cows to their death, was put toward saving Bingo from the same fate. I know we’ll get there!!
