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Cow On Loose In Queens Finds Permanent Home At Farm Sanctuary

The animal likely escaped from a slaughterhouse, live market or auction.

Watkins Glen, NY - Sept. 19, 2007 - A cow on the lam in Queens, N.Y., will find a new home at Farm Sanctuary's New York Shelter today. Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading animal protection organization with more than 1,100 rescued farm animals residing at two shelters in New York and California.

New York City police and firefighters cornered the animal around 11 p.m. last night, about an hour after police began fielding calls regarding a cow on the loose. The bovine was taken to the Manhattan branch of the New York City Animal Care & Control where she was provided with food, water and overnight accommodations. AC&C representatives said the animal appeared to be in good health.

The cow had a tag in her ear indicating she was either sold or to be sold, likely for slaughter. Halal butchers, live markets and slaughterhouses proliferate in the city's five boroughs, and escapees from these facilities are not uncommon. At live markets, customers select from chickens, goats, cows, sheep and turkeys, who are then killed on the premises.

"This is the second cow to come to our shelter from Queens, but this year alone we've taken in more than 100 animals from New York City, many from live markets," said Susie Coston, Farm Sanctuary shelter director. "Hopefully, stories like this make folks think twice about the animals they only interact with on a dinner plate."

The cow has been named Maxine, in honor of artist Peter Max and his wife Mary. The couple was responsible for bringing another slaughterhouse escapee, Cinci Freedom, to the New York Shelter in 2002. Cinci Freedom jumped a Cincinnati slaughterhouse wall and eluded capture for 11 days.

"When people see an individual animal running for her life, I think it strikes a chord," Coston added. "Maxine saved her own life. We're happy to give her a home."

Farm Sanctuary is now seeking donations for the Maxine Rescue Fund to aid in defraying the cost incurred by transporting the cow to the shelter, as well as for her lifelong care at sanctuary. Visit farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583-2225 for more information or to make a donation.

Maxine is one of a handful of animals residing at the shelter who are slaughterhouse escapees joining Cinci Freedom; Lucky Lady, a lamb found wandering an industrial section of the South Bronx in June; Joey, a goat rescued from Brooklyn streets in January; and Annie Dodge, a cow brought to the sanctuary after roaming the Vermont countryside.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.