The officers were investigating reports of a dead animal when they stopped at the farm. If it
had been a routine check, something didn't seem right. As they opened the barn door, a horrific
sight met them and acted fast before anything could happen to the other animals on location
The Large Animal Protection Society (LEPS) was founded well before 1988.
They were established to ensure that animal cruelty laws were enforced and carried out. LEPS
is still a volunteer-based4 that works hard to protect the big animals that everybody else can't.
They specialize in larger animals of all kinds for small and medium-sized animal groups.
Many animals help safeguard our farm animals. Chester, Pennsylvania is a small borough in the
state of Pennsylvania. In June 2017, a member of the public had noticed something troubling
in one of the farm's fields. It looked like a dead horse,
as a result of their concern for the animal, the passer-by called for help. When law enforcement
attended the scene, they found the animal but it wasn't dead. In fact, the animal was just
asleep in the pasture, but something must've made the officers uneasy and they called for
assistance from animal protection specialists. LEPS was one of the groups who answered the
call and they were accompanied by helping hands for animal. Together with the police officers,
the collaboration started to look around the farm. However, they couldn't have foreseen what they
uncovered. In a press release, farm sanctuary, a farm animal rescue in protection organization
described how the farm in Chester had won awards for its animals in the past.
“The farm owner and his family had taken the cows to fairs.” The organization explained,
“they were paraded in front of judges and received prizes”. But appearances
can be deceiving and it seems the animals were treated somewhat differently after their shows.
The unnamed farmer had shut his cattle in the barn where the cows were apparently forgotten about.
At least that's what it looked like from the condition they were found in.
“When investigators arrived at the scene, what they found was not valued prize winning cattle,”
farm sanctuary wrote. Instead, they found eight calves, six cows, and one bull locked in the barn,
but the conditions they were forced to live in were not just horrifying.
The barn posed a serious threat to the animals. It looked like the barn hadn't
been cleaned out in some time. As a result of the farmers neglect the building's floor
wasn't just thick with mud and feces, it was positively swimming in it. And some of the
calves had already suffered the consequences. “Five calves, each just a few weeks old,
appeared to have literally drowned in the muck.” Farm sanctuary explained.
“Only three of eight calves, so covered in feces they looked like they had been
dipped in it survived. The poor animals looked traumatized and they probably were.”
Susie Costan from farm sanctuary told the Dodo “How this could have happened? If a calf is sick,
they lay down. She explained on June 23rd, 2017. “If they're stepped on or someone accidentally
pushes them in, they're too weak to get out.” “So, they actually drown in their own manure,
which is repulsive.” To add another element of horror to the conditions. “One of the calves was
found huddled next to his dead companion” Costan said “he was probably mourning,
his friend's passing. Cows are very emotional, she explained. They are very vocal and upset
when someone dies and they're not frightened about staying with the body and mourning.”
Authorities could tell these animals had been suffering for some time
and confronted the farmer about it. However, he denied any accusations of neglect or abuse.
On the contrary, he said that the animals had only been in the barn for three days.
Despite his protestations, there were just 10 surviving cattle from the barn, the farmer
willingly surrendered the animals, but even this apparently good news had a bittersweet edge.
“Shockingly, the farmer was permitted to keep many more animals who were found
outside of the barn,” farm sanctuary reported. But LEPS and farm sanctuary couldn't just stand by
and let history repeat itself and have taken legal action. “Charges have been
filed against him,” they stated. “These include failure to provide veterinary care and failure
to provide sanitary conditions to his animals.” It remains to be seen if the charges will stick,
but at least for now, some of the animals are safe and it has been good news for the rescued cattle.
After some of the animals received medical care, they were all found
new homes across two sanctuaries. Three of them, two calves and one adult now live at
New Jersey Skylines animal sanctuary and rescue. The remaining seven were sent to farm sanctuary’s,
New York shelter. Furthermore, the females at farm sanctuary seemed to have adopted the
male calf as their own. “They're both very maternal,” Costan told the Dodo. “They love
being outside when they start becoming playful that means they're starting to feel secure.”
“Anytime an animal is seen only for financial gain. Their value is determined by that”
Costan continued. Now these amazing cows will live a life where they are seen as someone,
not something, they will get the individual love, respect, and care they each deserve.
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