Would you risk everything if your life was on the line? These 40 cows did just that – last night they escaped from a slaughterhouse in Pico Rivera, California, and ran after her across the Los Angeles suburbs. Many onlookers captured their pursuit of freedom on camera:
Proving they didn’t want to be killed, these cows weren’t afraid of busy streets and risked being hit by cars to avoid being killed for food – a risk they shouldn’t have taken.
“It was like thunder,” one local said of the crush.
The cows reportedly escaped through a gate that a worker accidentally left open at the slaughterhouse. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials reportedly advised residents to avoid the surrounding area, but apparently several people were injured. One cow ultimately suffered a fate similar to what she would have had if they had stayed in the slaughterhouse – she was shot and killed by a deputy sheriff, according to NBC in Los Angeles.
“[The cow] I was furious and … seemed more frightened than anything that made me sorry, ”said the witness.
According to KTLA, one cow is still missing this morning.
These cows and all other animals deserve better
These cows should never have been next in line to be slaughtered. They should never have fled through dangerous streets. Their choice shouldn’t have been either to be stabbed or escape – and then they are likely to be stabbed…
Sheriffs deputies reportedly herded cows that were not shot late last night into a trailer – a trailer that was no doubt heading to the slaughterhouse, ready to return the animals to the facility they were so desperate to escape from. These cows – and everything animals deserve better. Officials had to transfer them to a sanctuary where they could freely socialize with friends, nurse and care for their calves, and do other things that cows love to do – without ignoring their desperate desire for freedom and their very lives.
The Secret Life of Cows
If you were happy about those who escaped, or if you were sad to learn about the death of one cow or the likely return of the remaining cows to the slaughterhouse, make sure that you do not support killing others for food. When you’re at the grocery store, choose one or more of the many vegan beef options available today – from Beyond Meat, Gardein, and Before the Butcher, for example. And click below to find out how you can help save nearly 200 cows and other animals a year:
Order your free vegan starter kit