I am proud to say I have adopted /sponsored a few farm animals over the years through Farm Sanctuary, one of my favorite places. Here is some info on them. Enjoy!
Alby
"In 1998, Alby was rescued from an abusive veal farm where over 50 calves were starved to death. When he was found, Alby was near death and had a chain imbedded in his neck. With months of treatment and rehabilitation, today he enjoys lush pastures and cow companionship at Farm Sanctuary. Knowing Alby, and knowing about the intolerable suffering he was made to endure, motivates and compels us to do everything we can to help other veal calves, and to outlaw inhumane factory farming confinement practices. Alby is a very popular steer with all of our visitors, and loves a good neck scratch. He is now thirteen, and has developed arthritis, so he will remain here at Farm Sanctuary for the remainder of his life." (www.farmsanctuary.org)
I am delighted to have sponsored Alby and helped Farm Sanctuary continue its vitally important work. If you would also like to look into sponsoring a farm animal visit Farm Sanctaury's Adopt-A-Farm Animal Sponsorship page at
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/adopt/sponsor.htm. Their home page is at http://www.farmsanctuary.org. I will be getting updates on Alby and I'll post them here so check back for updates. If you visit Farm Santuary can you please pet me cow and perhaps bring her an apple?
Marti
"February 25, 2005
Dear James
We are very sorry to write with the news that your adopted steer, Alby, has passed away. We hope it may bring you some comfort to know that he died peacefully.
Alby arrived at Farm Sanctuary many years ago, in 1989. Rescued from misery and neglect at an abusive veal farm in Pennsylvania, he was just a tiny calf when he began his new life at our New York Shelter. Alby arrived at Farm Sanctuary weak, starving, and near death, but with proper care, medical attention, and plenty of time outdoors, he quickly grew strong and began to thrive. After spending the entirety of his life chained by the neck in a small wooden crate in the dark, life here must have seemed an unbelievable gift.
As soon as Alby recovered, he began making friends in our cattle herd and among our staff. Kind and outgoing by nature, he always greeted those he met with warmth and interest. As a result, Alby was very popular with all of our visitors and touched many hearts over the years. Closest to his own heart was another steer named Leo, who was rescued alongside Alby in 1989. Together, Leo and Alby lived life to the fullest here at Farm Sanctuary. Side by side, they spent their days roaming our lush green pastures, napping together in the cattle barn, and playing with friends. Through the example of their lives, and the unbearable suffering they were made to endure as veal calves, they taught all who knew them the power of compassion.
Alby’s death came as a surprise to all of us. Just days before he passed away, our veterinarian had given him a thorough physical examination and found that he was healthy. She checked his rumen function, lung sounds, legs, and heart, and all was normal. Then, early one morning, a caregiver found Alby lying down on his side in the cattle barn. She thought he was sleeping, until he failed to get up for his morning feed. When we spoke to our veterinarian that morning, she explained that the only possible cause of death was organ failure brought on by old age. Some of the medical problems Alby had experienced throughout the last few years of his life indicated this as well.
We all share your feelings of loss and compassion. Although saying goodbye to Alby nearly broke our hearts, we are grateful for the chance we had to share this life with him, and comforted by the ease of his passing. We have all felt the loss of his death deeply, but none of us more than his dearest friend Leo, who died just days after Alby. Life goes on without Leo and Alby, but none of us will ever forget them, the two tiny, helpless calves who grew up with us and taught us so much. Even in death, they are instructing us, reminding us of the affection we have for all life and inspiring us to save more animals, educate more people, and work harder to end the nightmare farm animals suffer daily.
As we have so many animals in need of support here at our New York Shelter, we have transferred your sponsorship to Marti. Though Alby can never be replaced, we hope your new friend can help ease your sorrow. Marti and 22 other dairy cows were left starving to death, needing immediate assistance from our New York Shelter staff. We found the cows locked in a dark, filthy dairy barn, full of manure and urine. The cows were coughing from the stench and ammonia buildup, were infested with lice and parasites, and were severely underweight. Working with local law enforcement, we confiscated the cows ad transported them to the sanctuary for emergency care…meanwhile the farmer was being thrown in jail for cruelty to animals. We were eventually granted permanent custody of the cows, who all healed very well and have made many new friends in our cattle barn.
Thank you for being a special friend to Alby. Please accept our deep condolences and profound appreciation for caring enough to make a real difference in the life of one very important animal
Yours in Sympathy and
Gratitude for Farm Animals
Susie Coston
New York Shelter Director"
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"Marti and 22 other dairy cows were left starving to death, needing immediate assistance from our New York Shelter staff. We found the cows locked in a dark, filthy dairy barn, full of manure and urine. The cows were coughing from the stench and ammonia buildup, were infested with lice and parasites, and were severely underweight. Working with local law enforcement, we confiscated the cows ad transported them to the sanctuary for emergency care…meanwhile the farmer was being thrown in jail for cruelty to animals. We were eventually granted permanent custody of the cows, who all healed very well and have made many new friends in our cattle barn."
Bonnie
"Health Care with Heart
In the “food animal” industry, animals do not receive individualized veterinary care—they are often only seen by industry veterinarians who develop procedures and medications to maximize production, not treat the source of the animals’ medical condition. At Farm Sanctuary, animals receive round-the-clock health care, including routine preventative care, daily, weekly and monthly health checks on every individual animal and special needs treatments.
Against All Odds
When beautiful Bonnie was unloaded from an Animal Control trailer one cold morning in the winter of 1995, the staff at our California Shelter couldn’t believe their eyes. Poor Bonnie, the victim of horrific neglect, could barely stand or walk. The hooves on all four of her feet had each overgrown by eleven inches or more, and were curled underneath her so far that they were hitting the backs of her legs. She struggled to keep her balance enough to simply remain upright. In order to attempt a step she had to cautiously lift each foot high off the ground, set her mangled hoof down and then try to regain balance all over again. Bonnie’s hair was missing in huge patches and she was crawling with lice.
The Animal Control officers explained that she had been confiscated from a private home, where Bonnie had been confined to a 10’ x 15’ paddock, apparently for her entire life. There was no shelter and no proper drainage for her area. She was found standing in mud and manure up to her knees.
When our veterinarian arrived later that first morning, with a portable x-ray machine and hoof trimming equipment, he was astounded at her condition. He determined that Bonnie was between four and five years old, and was certain that her hooves had never been trimmed or maintained at all. We carefully cradled Bonnie as the massive excess hoof was cut away from each of her feet. All four feet had severe hoof rot, and Bonnie quietly underwent lengthy treatments without complaint—as if she knew she would be well cared for and was finally safe.
The x-rays showed that due to this extreme overgrowth of Bonnie’s hooves during the growth stage of her life, the bones in all four of her feet had malformed and were rotated and seriously deformed. Her x-rays were sent to equine experts at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, in hopes that she would be a candidate for orthopedic surgery to correct the deformities. The veterinarians there exclaimed that Bonnie’s condition was the worst of this type they had ever seen, and warned that, unfortunately, invasive surgery would only aggravate her condition and might do further damage. They asked if Bonnie was able to walk at all, and when we replied that she could—surprisingly well, in fact—they felt that was the best we could hope for and it would be wise to leave it at that. They gave Bonnie a grim prognosis of 2-3 years to live before her feet would deteriorate even further and she wouldn’t be able to support her weight.
But precious Bonnie has proven them all wrong!
She has been with us now almost ten years, and just gets better and stronger as the years go by. She lovingly nuzzles her caregivers during monthly health checks, when we clip the rough edges of her hooves in between her appointments with the professional farrier every six weeks. Bonnie spends most of her time with her boyfriends, donkeys Willy and Waylon, with whom she bonded from the very beginning. It is a joy to spot the three of them on the ridgetops, braying loudly and chasing each other. Though she might be a wee bit slower than the boys, her four little funny feet can run!"
