Cow Who Was 'Too Fast' and Escaped Slaughter Now Runs With Joy at Retreat

As more of the world turn to veganism and vegetarianism, there has been an increase in interest in rescuing ex-diary or beef cows and giving them a safe and happy retirement.

One such cow is Miriam, a 6-year-old ex-beef cow who, according to the Instagram video posted by Happy Compromise Farm and Sanctuary, "saved her own life when she was too fast to be rounded up for slaughter."

The sanctuary was founded by Eyrn Leavens, 38, and Oliver Gawlik, 34, and is located in Waverly, New York state.

In the video, Miriam and her herd are running joyously up from their pasture to the top of the property where the shelters and hay are located. "They are following our UTV," Leavens told Newsweek, "and they are so excited to see Oliver and get to dinner. The other cows in the video are Penelope (the brown cow), and twins Titus and Tabitha."

Miriam was surrendered to Leavens and Gawlik by the previous owners of the land the sanctuary now sits on. "He ran a meat community supported agriculture farm and never managed to get Miriam loaded up and taken to slaughter," said Leavens, "He gave us the option to take her and we jumped at the opportunity."

"When we first got her she was terrified, but over the past two years, she was warmed up tremendously. She is the matriarch of the sanctuary and loves all the other animals here so much."

Approximately 36,163,973 cattle have been slaughtered in the beef trade in the U.S. this year, according to Animal Clock. They are incredibly sociable animals with noticeable hierarchies and form strong bonds with their calves.

"They can also distinguish between individual humans—showing fear responses to those who have handled them roughly," said the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). If you want to eat beef that has been reared in a more ethical way, don't be fooled by the 'grass-fed' label.

"Virtually all beef cattle are 'grass-fed' because they begin their lives on grass," said the ASPCA. "'Grass-finished' distinguishes those cattle who spend their lives eating grasses and are never sent to a feedlot."

Leavens and Gawlik moved their non-profit sanctuary from Oregon to New York with 100 rescued animals in September 2021 because of the worsening wildfire situation on the West Coast.

"We currently care for 115 rescued animals, though that number frequently changes. We have cows, goats, sheep, alpaca, dogs, cats, and lots of different kinds of birds who call the sanctuary home," said Leavens.

"Our days are a little crazy! They change a bit with the season, but in general, we try to wake up early and do morning chores for all of the residents, which takes several hours. We also spend part of each day working on the farm where we grow many different kinds of veggies, herbs, fruit, and flowers which go in our free community farm stand. In the evening we get all of the animals back inside for dinner and bedtime. There aren't any days off when you run a sanctuary but it's certainly important and rewarding work."

Users on Instagram loved the sweet video.

"Is there a post we can see more about Miriam's story? Love this," said one user.

"What a beautiful sight!" commented another.

"They all seem so happy! Thanks for everything you do!!" wrote a third.

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