When a cow in the dairy industry gives birth to a boy, that calf is seen as little more than a by-product. Only female cows can produce milk, and that’s after they have been impregnated and given birth to a baby.
Typically, three fates await a male calf in the dairy industry: being raised for veal, raised for beef, or euthanized within their first week of life.
But this time, two farmers allowed two calves to escape to a different fate, by living out the rest of their lives in the sunny fields of Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary in Potomac, Maryland.
They just needed some help getting there.
That’s when filmmaker Joanna Zelman recruited the help of her father to drive 600 miles to pick up the calves and bring them to their new home.
“As a filmmaker, sometimes I hear about animals needing help and can't do anything about it,” Zelman said. “But this time we could.”
They outfitted their car with tarps and hay and took off for their first farm.
Once they got there, Zelman’s father, a self-professed “burger lover,” was surprised by how emotional he became when he met the first calf, Mickey, for the first time.
“I didn't think I was gonna have such an attachment,” he said in Zelman’s short documentary, “Cow Trip.”
“I'd like to see him in a few years,” he said. “We're going to save his life.”
Mickey, a black-and-white spotted calf, was soon joined by Moose, a brown-and-white calf. Early on, a health scare raised concern in Zelman’s father, a retired doctor. But after the two calves began snuggling and comforting each other in the back, a sense of calm washed over them.
“We finally got to Rosie’s,” Zelman said. “It's a sanctuary where rescued animals can just live free.”
As soon as they arrived, Moose and Mickey began playing in the barn, kicking up hay as they leapt around each other. As a precaution, they were quarantined in the barn for a full month.
Then they were able to run free.
“Once they were free, their personalities started to really come out,” Zelman said.
The filmmaker hoped to bring Mickey’s mom, named “Twenty-Two,” to the same sanctuary a few months later, but she was sadly put down due to an injury. Zelman’s documentary, “Cow Trip,” is dedicated in memory of Twenty-Two.
Although the film just debuted on May 14 on The Dodo’s YouTube Channel, Mickey and Moose’s journey began four years ago.
And they’ve been at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary ever since.
“Mickey and Moose are now safe at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary, where they’re practically inseparable, best friends-slash-brothers who love to graze, wander, and stick close side by side,” the sanctuary posted on their website.
“Mickey is our lovable goofball, always thinking about his next snack and bringing a little extra joy wherever he goes,” they continued. “Moose is more of a gentle free spirit, often gazing out across the pasture as if he’s quietly composing poems in the sunshine.”
“Four years ago, they were two rescued calves on a road trip toward hope,” the sanctuary added in an Instagram post. “Now they are giant, joyful boys living the kind of life they were never supposed to have.”
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Header image via Cow Trip / Joanna Zelman LLC
