Roy, Ari, Mercy and Bob are lucky survivors of the E6 Cattle Ranch in Hart, Texas. A new uplifting film from animal protection group Mercy for Animals tells the story of their rescue when an uncover investigator purchased the weeks-old calves for $10 each.
With little economic value to the E6 ranch—a family-owned business that supplies animals to the dairy industry—the calves were denied veterinary care or medical treatment. An earlier investigation of E6 Cattle had revealed workers bashing in the skulls of calves with pickaxes and leaving sick calves to die in filthy crates.
The four rescued calves have found a new home at The Gentle Barn, a non-profit organization that rehabilitates abused farm animals and provides them with lifelong care. Through outreach programs, Gentle Barn also fosters kindness, compassion and confidence in abused children by bringing them to visit the sanctuary and hear the animals’ stories.
While conditions at places like E6 Cattle are exceptionally cruel, animal protection groups have long pointed out that even usual legal practices within the animal agriculture industry are abusive. The close connection between the dairy and veal industries means that newborn calves are taken from their mothers within hours of birth and loaded onto trucks to be immediately slaughtered for bob veal, or confined to lonely, dark crates to be raised for milk-fed veal.
While these four calves are among the lucky few who find safety and sanctuary from a brutal industry, MFA Executive Director Nathan Runkle, says that it is ultimately up to consumers to put an end to the need for these rescues. "Although we cannot immediately rescue every abused and neglected animal on factory farms, each of us holds the power to withdraw our financial support from this broken system – which views and treats these beautiful animals as disposable commodities.”
You can view the heartwarming and uplifting story of Roy, Ari, Mercy and Bob in the video on the left. For more information about adopting a compassionate diet, see these ten tips, and these ideas for dropping dairy foods from meals. Check their websites to learn more about The Gentle Barn and Mercy for Animals.
Comments