Blake, Phoebus, and Sixer.
Young Sixer.
Phoebus and Sixer.
Phoebus taking a break afrom hanging out with buddy Linus to come in for a pic.
Blake, left, gets some affection from pal Mario steer.
Never far apart
Happy “Rebirth-day,” Phoebus, Blake, and Sixer!
Five
years ago today – July 8, 2011 – three terribly neglected calves began their
new lives as much-loved Farm Sanctuary residents. Today, they are still
exploring the rolling hills in the pastures they now call home. Knowing what
these boys went through, and how sick they were at the time of their arrival,
has made every step they’ve taken since that day a victory.
Phoebus,
Sixer, and Blake were born into the dairy industry, which sees male calves like
them as “byproducts” and treats them accordingly. Taken from their mothers
shortly after birth, these youngsters soon found themselves at an auction where
calves who couldn’t grow up to produce milk were instead sold to be used for
veal or cheap beef. From there, things just got worse for the calves – until they crossed
paths with a caring animal control officer who took action to save their lives.
Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Field Services Manager Todd Stosuy had received
a tip about a group of calves who were living in a small dirt pen and starving.
Stosuy, along with a veterinarian, went to investigate and found five calves,
all of whom were extremely malnourished – essentially skin and bones. Recognizing
the danger all of the calves were in, Stosuy confiscated all five. He then
contacted Farm Sanctuary and other rescue organizations to find homes for these
sick and neglected boys. Two of the boys were placed with another sanctuary,
and Phoebus, Blake, and Sixer came to live at our Northern California Shelter
in Orland, CA.
When they arrived, Sixer and Blake were weak and subdued; it
took a few days of receiving proper care before they started to act like normal
calves, running and jumping around in their little grassy yard. But the going
was tougher for Phoebus, who suffered from many health issues.
Phoebus had to be transported
to a veterinary hospital, where he received extensive treatment, including
a plasma transfusion. (This was most likely necessary because he’d never been given a chance
to drink his mother’s milk
—
meaning he’d been deprived of vital colostrum.) Thankfully,
the transfusion worked, and Phoebus was able to come home to the shelter on the
mend. Soon enough, he was playing with his “brothers.”
Since the very beginning, these three have been extremely close.
To this day, they are still never far from one another’s sides.
Often, the boys
will look up from grazing to see where each member of the trio is in relation
to one another. During pasture rotations, they move as one – not leaving one
pasture until all three of them are there. (Often, all three will then sprint
together into the next pasture.)
They are often the first ones to come to the gate for chin
scratches, and also love a good back massage
—
usually giving a quick lick in
appreciation afterward (that is, unless something more interesting happens, in
which case they will be off like rockets to investigate).
Phoebus, Sixer, and Blake have definitely earned reputations as
being the goofy kids of the herd. They love to check out everything going on
around them, and they don’t hesitate to get into all types of mischief whenever
possible.
It’s hard to believe how
far these three boys have come, and we can’t wait to see how far they will go (always
together) at Farm Sanctuary!
Please share Phoebus, Sixer, and Blake’s story. Together, we can raise awareness about the deep emotional lives and strong social bonds experienced by cattle like them. With your support, we can continue to promote compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. A compassionate world begins with you!
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