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A Happy Ending for a Kidnapped Calf

This story of a baby cow who was found in an alleged kidnapper’s car ended happily!

Police in Riverside, California, arrested a man after they found a little calf in the backseat of his car. Her ear tags, which are used to identify cows on dairy factory farms, had been ripped out. Police tried to find her owner, but PETA was determined to make sure that the calf, who was named Holly, wouldn’t end up at a dairy farm.

On a dairy farm, Holly would likely be forced to have babies over and over again, and they would almost certainly be taken away from her within days so that humans could have the milk that was meant for them. She would likely be slaughtered for food once she stopped producing enough milk. Cows used by the dairy industry are typically killed after about five years because their bodies wear out from being pregnant so often and producing so much milk. Doesn’t sound like a happy life, does it?

PETA persuaded Riverside County’s Department of Animal Services to release Holly to us, and we worked with Farm Sanctuary to get her transferred to the group’s farm in Acton, California. She is now living out her life in peace with her loving guardians and has veterinary care and the friendship of another rescued cow named Cookie.

You can help other cows like Holly by choosing to go dairy-free. Ready to make the change?