Belinda: the many lives that led to sanctuary
Belinda was rescued from a backyard butcher in Cattaraugus County, NY. She and her herdmates were starving, lacking needed medical attention, and worn out from years of abuse, both at this farm and the farms they came from originally.
SPCA agents had been watching the farm, and years before, they had pressed charges against the owner multiple times. He was known to purchase animals at local stockyards — many already older and in bad shape, but cheap because of their age and condition — to use in his slaughter facility.
The cows were used to produce babies, who were available to be slaughtered by anyone who paid to do so. Untrained individuals were allowed to choose an animal and kill him or her in a makeshift slaughter facility at the site; the cows could actually hear their children being killed, since the farm was very small.
Before coming to this horrible place, Belinda was a dairy cow — likely at a smaller farm where the cows were kept for longer than the now-standard 4-5 years. Looking at her teeth, it is clear that when she arrived at the sanctuary, she was well into her mid-to-late teens.
Before we arrived at the scene of the backyard slaughter facility for this rescue, we had not been informed that there were cattle; we’d been asked to come only to pick up sheep. We were shocked at the condition of these cattle, so immediately agreed to take in the herd of seven. In this herd were Belinda and a calf that was clearly her daughter, who was around 8-9- months old. There was another calf, an Angus cross, as well, and both calves were the only animals who looked somewhat healthy.
That was due to one cow, Luna, who was nursing both calves; Belinda had no milk and was clearly exhausted. And she was exhausted for a very good reason: She was pregnant again.
Belinda a few weeks after arrival with a huge belly and a baby on the way — with Olivia, likely her daughter from nine months before.
When Belinda arrived at Farm Sanctuary, it was impossible to imagine that she was just weeks away from delivering another baby. She was emaciated and so tired. Her skinny body developed a very large belly within just a week, the huge distention rarely this noticeable in cattle with the proper weight on them when they are pregnant. But within a few weeks, she delivered a beautiful and very healthy baby boy — though, sadly, not without complications. Within 48 hours of little Elijah’s birth, Belinda was rushed to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, dying from birthing complications and fighting desperately to survive.
For around one month Belinda, remained at Cornell. When we took her in, she was suffering from a condition called DIC: Disseminated Intravascular Coagluation, a condition in which the proteins that control blood clotting become overactive. She also had quickly developed a toxic mastitis, continued pneumonia which only worsened during the birthing process, and internal bleeding caused by a tear during the birth of her son.
Belinda was treated aggressively with antibiotic therapy, intravenous fluid therapy, and blood and plasma transfusions, and did make a remarkable recovery from her mastitis and DIC. Her pneumonia was not improving, and she continued to lose weight. After giving birth, she weighed just over 700 pounds — at least 400 pounds underweight, so she could not afford to lose more
And saddest of all, she once again could not handle a calf. After all the babies lost, once again she could not keep her son. She could not stand on her own to nurse him, and she was too weak to to handle his high energy. She also had toxic mastitis and could not feed him even if she could get up. With heavy hearts, we brought Elijah home to Farm Sanctuary and left Belinda at Cornell to heal. The decision was not an easy one, but the only one we could make that would allow them both to survive. The first week was touch and go and the doctors were unsure that she could pull through.
But pull through she did, but when Belinda arrived home, she looked as bad as she had when we found her — possibly worse, body-wise, but her face thankfully was brighter and she had a spark that she did not have prior to coming to the farm. This is when her life did finally change for the better. The struggles were behind her and the healing could finally begin.
Belinda skinny but bright and ready to start her new life. The dullness she arrived with (photo on left) was gone and the sparkle in her eye had arrived and continues to this day.
The doctors at Cornell worked so incredibly hard to save this amazing girl, and when we spoke to them about her recovery at home, they said she really just needed to gain some weight, continue treatment for mastitis (daily for another month), and continue to treat her large wounds (caused by injections during the time she had DIC). And so we did. And during that time we developed a relationship with this incredible older girl!
If this girl even hears an apple fall to the ground she is there! Apple-loving bovine.
With plenty of grass, apple tree branches, and apples, Belinda had no problem gaining back her weight and then some — the anorexic body she had during her former life of being a breeding cow was changing. We also found that she has very few teeth left — she is an older gal. Because of this, we ensure that she has nice soft hay, supplemented when necessary with a mash feed. Currently there is no need and weight is not a problem!
She even loves the snow! And always has that beautiful happy smile on her face — although it is quite toothless now!
And her personality blossomed. She was very standoffish when she arrived, shy and a bit frightened of people, but after being so close to death and being clearly saved by vets and caregivers, this quickly changed. She came out of her shell. She is a funny gal and reminds us of a cat — she loves to be brushed or scratched for just so long, and then she pushes you away with her very large head.
While a very sick Julio — a steer who was very frightened of people — was being treated, Belinda reached through the gate to comfort him.
And she has made some seriously great friends. More than scratching and brushing, she loves her people — whom she grooms and is groomed by daily. She lives in our special-needs herd with our older cattle; it is also the herd babies first join when they are able to become part of a herd. She loves them too, and like all the other older Holstein girls, she plays the role of mother and protector. Babies who join this crew are very lucky — and usually very wet from all the licking.
With a spring in her step and the extra weight she needed to be healthy, Belinda is finally living the Farm Sanctuary life and doing it with style.
Although age has taken most of her teeth nothing can slow her down. Belinda is happy and living the Farm Sanctuary life.
Belinda (at right) and her pal Faith, another older Holstein girl, enjoying their hay — teeth or no teeth!
Please share Belinda’s story. Together, we can encourage awareness and understanding about the deep emotional lives of cows as well as the unfortunate truth about the dairy industry. With a growing number of delicious dairy-free options and recipes, it’s never been a better time to make the switch. And it is one of the easiest ways to honor cows like Belinda.
With your support we can continue to promote compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. A compassionate world begins with you!
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