Otis, our big black steer, was born on a dairy farm and was taken from his mother when he was four hours old to be put on a slaughter truck. In the dairy industry male calves are either turned into veal or treated as waste products to be slaughtered; female calves are taken from their mothers and fed milk replacer instead of their mothers’ milk until they are old enough to produce. Cows are no different than other mammals, and they only produce milk when they give birth. They live short lives of repeated calf production until “spent” at age four, and are sent to slaughter. Despite being deeply maternal beings with a strong family structure they are not allowed to raise their babies. Bertie Wooster, our little spotted steer, was saved by a woman who connects male calves from a single dairy farm with sanctuaries before they can be killed. Both boys are curious and affectionate, and love being patted and galloping around. People who call cows “grass puppies” are pretty accurate. These two are full of joy and a love of life.
