Isaiah

Before starting the sanctuary, it had been a daily dream of the sanctuary founder to rescue a couple of Holstein calves. Within a week of moving to the farm, she located a group of 25 or so young calves between 3-4 weeks old that had came through the local auction mart. Heartbreakingly, only two calves would be released to her knowing that the rest would be slaughtered for beef within the next 8 to 12 months. 

On that unforgettable day, as the founder walked into their pen to pick two, the largest (although extremely underweight) and most curious calf picked her! He was instantly named Isaiah (cow names that the founder had chosen years before, when the sanctuary was only a far-off dream). Over the past 2 years, Isaiah has grown into a very big boy & he is still growing & will keep growing until he is 4-5 years old! He also has a very big personality. He has continued to be very outgoing, overly curious, & mischievous, but also has a gentle & sensitive side to him. He is also the leader of the cow herd. 

Jeremiah 

Jeremiah was rescued along with Isaiah. Unlike Isaiah, Jeremiah was the smallest, thinnest, & visibly sickest of the group & without intervention, would have died within the next couple of days. After he was rescued, he remained critically ill with pneumonia & then developed coccidosis (which are common & often fatal diseases in young dairy calves). However, with proper medical care & lots of love, along with his protective big brother (from another mother), he fully recovered & he has flourished over the last 2 years. Jeremiah can be quite shy but is very sweet & highly sensitive, & if he were a person, we think he would be a poet or a philosopher. 

Ezekiel 

Ezekiel is a Jersey steer who was rescued from the dairy industry shortly after he was born & he came to live with us when he was about 3 weeks old in November 2019. He slowly was introduced to Isaiah & Jeremiah as he got older & moved in with him when he was about 6 months old & quickly bonded to his two big brothers. Ezekiel has grown up to be super friendly, inquisitive, & playful, and he loves to give kisses to visitors. Jersey calves because they are smaller and don’t produce much “meat,” they are considered as waste products & typically killed shortly after their birth rather than the Holsteins who are typically raised for veal & slaughtered about 3-5 months old & a minority are raised for “beef” and slaughtered between 8-12 months. 

Daniel

In April 2021, Daniel was rescued from the dairy industry when he was about a week old & was critically ill with pneumonia, scours (diarrhea), & stomach ulcers. He was also extremely underweight & had difficulty drinking milk because his stomach hurt so much. The first few weeks of his life were touch-and-go & he had many urgent vet visits. However, he was a strong-spirited little trooper who didn’t give up & we never gave up on him. He has largely recovered and he has been steadily growing & gaining weight.  Unlike Ezekiel, Daniel is shyer but he continues to come out of his shell & certainly has another side to him, where he can be quite playful & also mischievous. As he gets a bit older & stronger, he will be able to meet his new big brothers & move in with them by late fall. 

Ezra

Ezra was born on a large cattle ranch in British Columbia & his mother died shortly after giving birth. A kind young woman rescued him from either being used as “wolf bait” or bottled raised until he was old enough to be sold for “beef.” When she could not longer take care of him due to her circumstances, she searched out a forever home for him & found us. At about 8 months old, Ezra came to live at our sanctuary in October 2021 & after he finished his quarantine, he moved in with Daniel & the sheep. He is a laid-back, outgoing, & confident guy!