NEWSBYMARJI BEACH

You've seen (and will continue to see) Marji's wonderful posts at the Animal Place Sanctuary blog included often in the Animals in the Blogs roundups lately (and hopefully, you've been following those links to check out her posts; if not, now's the time). Please welcome her for her first guest post here. -S. Ernst

On a cool spring day, Summer and Freedom were born at separate dairy farms. Like almost all calves in the dairy industry, they were taken from their mom mere seconds after birth. The most powerful bond between mother cow and her calf was immediately denied. Since these two calves were male, they were of no monetary value to the farmer. Male dairy calves are sold when they are only a couple days old –- purchasers raise them for veal or “cheap” beef. At auction, the calves are sold for $3-20. Dairy farmers make no money off of male dairy calves.

Summer and Freedom did not even sell -- Summer was so malnourished that every rib was painfully visible; Freedom lacked a tail, a congenital defect that may cause lifelong digestive problems. Because of their poor start, Summer and Freedom required intensive care. They spent their first four days at a veterinary hospital receiving IV fluids and other medications to keep them healthy.