"May all beings everywhere be safe, happy and free and may the thoughts, words and actions of our own lives contribute in some way to the happiness and freedom of all."
Hindu Blessing
Ferdinand
Ferdinand was rescued from a veal farm when he was just two days old. He was bottle fed until he grew strong. He is as affectionate and intelligent as your dog or cat. Ferdinand has lived at the sanctuary for over twelve years. This gentle soul has developed friendships with many of the horses, goats, cows and sheep living here. He now mentors Hebie’s, a newly rescued veal calf. He is a kind friend to all. Ferdinand was named after the peaceful bull in the children’s classic The Story of Ferdinand.
Shanti
Shanti, which means peace in Sanskrit, came from a Long Island beef farm in the summer of 2019. Because he was born blind and lame, a kind employee was permitted to take the calf home. She brought him to the Sanctuary where he received specialized medical care. Surgery was performed at Cornell University Veterinary Hospital to repair his injured leg. He now enjoys life with a slight limp and with help from his seeing-eye goat Gabriel who accompanies him everywhere.
Lucky and Esther
Lucky was just hours away from an auction to be sold as a veal calf. He was a week old when he arrived. Lucky was bottle fed and grew from the size of a German Shepherd dog to a steer who weighs over 1500 pounds. He enjoys his days with Esther, a shy and gentle dairy cow who has lived at the sanctuary for over a decade.
Lukas, Mateo, Miracle and Clare
Lukas and Mateo came to the Sanctuary as babies. They have lived here for over ten years. They are both males who would have been sold for meat. They are happy, funny, intelligent and very, very mischievous!
Miracle and Clare are two gentle, affectionate and friendly sheep. Miracle was found disoriented and injured on a local road by our barn manager Luciano. It seemed as though he had fallen from a truck perhaps bound to a slaughterhouse or auction. Clare was rescued from a meat farm.
How to help
Learn the truth about the meat and dairy industries.
Visit https://mercyforanimals.org. You will be appalled at the way these animals are treated. Cows are probably the most mistreated mammals in the world. By sheer numbers, millions of them live their lives in the dairy and meat industries, in which they are deprived of their every natural behavior, beginning at the moment of birth, and ending at the slaughterhouse.
Adopt a meat and dairy-free diet
Or start small, try not eating meat for one day a week, then two… Never eat veal, which is simply a baby cow, taken from his mother at birth, deprived of nutrition, kept anemic and confined for his short, unhappy life in a small crate. These cruel practices prevent muscle development and produce a meat which is “tender” and pale in color.