Some people see them as meat; others as pets; and some as respectfully large animals that they need to stay away from in a distant field.
However you see them, through an increase in rescue videos on social media, it's becoming apparent that cows are very misunderstood creatures.
In their video, which has over 1.6 million views on Instagram, animal sanctuary The Gentle Barn says that there are five ways to tell if a cow is truly happy. These involve:
- Asking for belly rubs
- Initiating contact through licking or hugging
- Chewing
- Zoomies
- Purring
"The Gentle Barn has been my dream since I was 7, and I finally founded it in 1999," Ellie Laks, founder of the California-based sanctuary, 55, told Newsweek, "The Gentle Barn is a sanctuary for horses, donkeys, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, llamas, emus, and dogs who have nowhere else to go because of their physical, mental, and emotional trauma.
"Once happy, healthy and ready, we partner with them to heal people from their own stories of trauma," Laks added. "We now have 200 animals across three locations in California, Tennessee, and Missouri."
Laks said that her very first rescue was a goat named Mary that she met in a petting zoo that she described as abusive.
"She looked me in the eye, stopped me in my tracks, and asked me for help," Laks added. "I asked the owners if I could have her and they said no. I asked if I could buy her and they said no. I stayed there for 12 days and they finally let me have her.
"I brought Mary home to my half-acre backyard, got a veterinarian to help remove her tumors, trim her overgrown nails, and massage her deformed legs so she could walk again, and Mary set me on my life's path to heal animals," she said.
At The Gentle Barn, Laks rehabilitates the animals she takes in, supplementing veterinary care with acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractors, energy healing, animal communication, music therapy, and lots of time and love.
Cows are very sociable animals who form tight bonds with members of their herd, says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "When shown kindness, cows can also form bonds with humans," the ASPCA adds, "and they recognize and remember people who have not treated them kindly, even after a long period of time has passed."
When asked what the average person misunderstands about cows, Laks said: "Everything! Cows are gentle giants, capable of much nurturing and love once they feel safe. They are intelligent, affectionate, peaceful animals."
It's estimated that 36 million cows are slaughtered every year in the U.S. to feed the nationwide and international demand for beef, according to Sentient Media.
"The way we are treating these beautiful, angelic creatures is a travesty," said Laks. "The meat and dairy industry rides on the backs of mothers, getting them pregnant and taking their babies away.
"At the heart of animal agriculture is suffering and denying these animals the basic rights and freedoms that we take for granted. There is so much physical abuse, but the emotional toll that the industry takes on farm animals is unconscionable."
Laks added that most people are able to ignore any mistreatment of cows "because farm animals have been removed from our neighborhoods, and most people have never met them. That is why The Gentle Barn exists; to allow guests to look them in the eyes, hug them, hold them, pat them, hear their stories of resilience, and open their hearts to their intelligence, affection, and personalities.
"Our social media allows a global audience to fall in love with them and realize that our cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, and turkeys are no different than the dogs and cats that we cherish at home," Laks said.
Users on Instagram loved the sweet video. "So they're just oversized dogs," commented one user, while another wrote: "Seeing things like this make me want to stop eating beef so bad... and just advocate for them, and free all those in inhumane conditions."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Leonie Helm is a Newsweek Life Reporter and is based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on all things ... Read more
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