Animal Updates

born to die

Carol  ·  Jun. 22, 2009

i went down to the feed store early this morning to ask them to put the word out to the farmers that we were looking for an old cow again. leanna called her friend who runs the auction and there were alot of old cows there (once there we discovered the auctions idea of old is 5-8 yrs!) and the auction was going to start in an hour.

so i rushed home and grabbed angelina, renee and kirsten and told them they were all fired if they let me buy more than one cow. and then nicole and meghann were on their way out to saints so they met us at the auction too.

ok..this was one of my worst ideas...i was almost in tears the whole time we were there and was in actual tears twice (mostly because i knew i was in big trouble and NEVER should have come near there in the first place)

anyway..i know nothing about auctions, i don't even have a clue how to bid and i can't understand a word that auctioneer is saying so things were about to go from bad to worse.

all i can say is...thank god today was not pig day, cuz if it was i would have been lost...cow day was bad enough.

i hooked up with the boss guy there and he was really nice and did all the bidding for me.i told him who we were interested in and said only to bid if the meat guy was bidding. i didn't want anyone who would go off to a farm or a home, just whoever was headed for slaughter.

there were two brood mares, both crippled, one with an injury and one with HORRIBLE feet. both were obviously very stressed and very in love (they came together.) renee started pushing, she couldn't stand it that they were there, the auction guy asked around and the only ones who were going to bid were the ones who were buying meat. i said if her sister who had acreage and a barn was willing to board them indefinitely, i'd buy them. her sister said ok. luckily this very nice woman felt sorry for them too so she out bid the meat man and then there were 2 less for us to worry about.

then there were the two sweet jersey heifers..they came together too. i really wanted to get another jersey...they are smaller than holstiens and calmer too. they were not seniors but the meat man was bidding on them. i just could not take them both so we only bid on one... her name will be "joy" and i am just waiting for the transport tonight to bring her. i am so sorry her sister was bought for the slaughter, like a hundred others today.

animal control dropped off three little goats...the meat man wanted them too and the bidding got pretty furious (raw feeders like to feed goat and some human cultures like it too so the price for goat meat is pretty good)...anyway...the goats won, luck was in their house...and are on their way to saints with Joy. we have named them after the three stooges, curly, mo and larry and i don't know why but none of them have ears.

(the transport just called, they will all be here in about a half an hour.)

anyway, they are small and cute and i am really hopeful that once we neuter them, we can find them a real good home. (cuz i don't want them to stay here!)

and finally...two newborn calves...just a day old. both still with their umbilical cords...both sick and weak...todd was bigger so we paid $10 for him...little emily was tiny so she was only $2 (she was part of a set of triplets but i just could not take them all)...the bigger healthier 3-7 day old calves went for $60-$80..more meat on the bone. how could emily's life cost less than a cup of starbucks?
so today we saw about 50 calves...all less than a week old. all torn from their mothers and facing death because dairy cows can't feed babies and still have milk left.

i don't know if todd and emily will survive...the vets are coming tomorrow...these babes have been thru alot in the past 24 hours since they were born.

they both have fevers, todd is dripping pus from his nose. but they are the most beautiful babies. if they don't survive, it will still be with full belly, a safe bed and wrapped in a warm fleece.

we couldn't save them all...but we did save these.

i will never go near the auction again.

editted by nicole to add photos (again):
Emily

Todd:

Me and meg with the calves:

Comments

Sarah

This story has brought tears to my eyes. I am so appreciative of organizations like SAINTS, please keep up the good work rescuing these innocent animals.

Carol

thx for the link cheryl!..i sent off an initial email..we'll see what happens and if it is a home that will match our adoption criteria.

Shannon

The calves are gorgeous, I hope they pull through okay. You are braver than I to only come home with two! Good thing I live in city limits.

Leigh

Carol - thanks for saving those sweet creatures that you could! Just thinking of the auction makes me cry.....

Julie in Mission

It isn't just factory farms that are the problem. It's also the scientific community that has a lot to answer for. Let's see what happens when we torture these poor creatures with all sorts of cancerous chemicals, electrodes, implants, and god knows what. Then we can say it helps Humans cause we know what it does to mice, rat, cats, and dogs, and cows, and rabbits, and monkeys, and.... Well guess what?! Humans are Not Mice, Rats, Cats or Dogs or Cows or Rabbits or Monkeys! They are Humans! Totally different species! You would think that having all sorts of pieces of paper saying they went to school for a really long time, would be cause for these people to have just a tiny grasp of that.

If you have a small herd of milk cows or goats or even just one, and love them and care for them as the unique and special creatures they are, then thier milk is a gift to you for that love. We are all connected to the Universe, every living creature. Humanity needs to stop thinking they are the end all be all of Everything. Once they figure out that animals are not just numbers in a ledger, a product, a service, an object, then maybe there will be the hope of seeing past this self important nature.

Animals were once worshiped as Divine entities, humans knew how to connect with them on a spiritual level. Animals have not forgotten this, unfortunally a lot of humans have. Until the rest of the world remembers this, all we can do is rescue the bits of light we find in the darkness. That's what you all did at the auction. By bringing those orphans home, you made one little corner of Light that much stronger in it's connection to the Universal Love.

Cheryl

Carol: I saw this on CL and thought I would pass on. No idea what the home would be like but a homecheck could be done. Anyhow worth a check out.

I Am Looking For Any Unwanted Goats! Pet Home ONLY!! (Langley)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: comm-bapr8-1231898221@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Date: 2009-06-20, 7:48PM PDT



Are you moving? Can't take your goats with you?
Well I have a solution!
I will take any unwanted goats or goats that just need new homes.

Any breed, size, color, age!
Really Really good home!
I have a small herd of goats, all are different breeds, ages and sizes.




•Location: Langley
•it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Marisa

Carol, thank you for saving these lives! I know it's a huge, endemic problem not solved by what you did but just the fact that a few got out, that a few will live the way they were meant to live...that's an incredibly special gift.

Going vegetarian is a wonderful step towards compassion to all creatures but please remember that the little calves are a result of the dairy industry. So, maybe give up a little milk there, a few eggs here, some beef over there. It all adds up and one day you'll wonder why you ever ate that stuff!

One of my favourite writings ever about the rescue of a cow. I think you'll all like it. http://www.animalsvoice.com/edits/editorial/essays/farmed/flynne_cowdancing.html

SteveO

Fire all the girls........ ;).....they let you come home with lots..:(.. Ah well they are cute though.....You must remember not to go out into the real world...n stay on the ranch....Oh well...I guess my work will never be done....building housing for all these animals.......Not very smart going there....But you have a good heart... :) :)

Tracey

I simply could not attend an auction of live, sentient beings and not lose it.

Going vegetarian is something we can all do to help put an end to what the SAINTS' Team witnessed yesterday.

The cruelty we humans inflict on others is abhorrent.

Like Shelley, I am an optimist and await the day when our species looks back in history with shame and sadness and asks "how could we allow that happen?"

wendy

p.s. I bet I know the asswipe that dumped those poor broodies if they were TB's race horse breeder real a-hole.

wendy

I have to avoid the auction now that we no longer have property...makes me cry to see old used up cows and horses being thrown out after a lifetime of service to their "owners"
Hope the wee ones pull thru they look so sweet.

Hillevi

I am in tears . . . they are so beautiful and truly precious. I hope that they all survive, but if they don't I am most certainly thankful that they landed at SAINTS. Prayers for them all.

jezebel

Oh my goodness...those calves are BEAUTIFUL. I don't know how you made it through today. :(

I hope they all thrive in your care. (I can hardly wait to see pictures of the goats....)

Shelley

One day ( but not in my lifetime ), auctions like these, factory farming and human consumption of meat will be a thing of the past. It will be looked back on as an appalling, disgraceful period in human history. I try to hang onto that and I pray for it.

Please go vegetarian - or as cruelty-free as possible. Thanks.

Renee

It was so horrible today at the auction, I never want to go back!! But i'm so glad the horses are safe:)

Carol

they are here!!!!

joy is beautiful and a perfect friend for percy. they seem to really like each other...she is happily eating dinner and percy is right next to her staring at her in star-struck wonder.

the little goats are ADORABLE..they look like some kind of mini african gazelle...they are very social, and busy, and like to follow you around.

if anyone knows anyone with a great little goat home...please (puhleeeese!!!!) let us know.

lynne

THEY ARE VERY SWEET HOPE THEY ARE OKAY. I woold have been a wreck there. i even hate to think about what happens to them. i am glad that you saved some of the animals. yeah, maybe better not go back to the auction.

Erika

What a day you had :(
They could be La Mancha goats - they are bred to have tiny little ears and it looks like they have had their ears cut off.
Erika