Happy first birthday to little miracle, Paul!
Today is another special day at the Surge Sanctuary, as we are celebrating the first birthday of Paul!
This is a milestone for our little miracle, who had a tough start in life. After being born to a mother in the dairy industry, Paul was deemed a worthless by-product and due to be killed at a very young age for the veal industry. Luckily, we were able to rescue him along with his little buddy Roo. But shortly after arriving at the sanctuary, Paul experienced severe tummy and bloating problems, and at one point we thought we were going to lose him. But we never gave up, and neither did he.
Now Paul is a healthy, cheeky, fun-loving young cow, and he will be celebrating his first birthday of many with lots of cuddles, scratches, and treats.
Without the dairy industry, it is likely the veal industry would not exist. Industries which exploit animals go hand in hand, upholding and supporting each other. So while a mother cow may be exploited by the dairy industry for most of her life, she will then enter the slaughter chain and be used by the pet food industry, and her baby the veal industry. We must simultaneously dismantle them all, to ensure these individuals get the chance to feel grass beneath their feet, graze in the sun, run around in the open air and experience the love they deserve.
Every time we kill an animal, we remove a bit of joy from the world. Paul is a living example of this. Spread joy by spreading the vegan message, and supporting sanctuaries like ours.
By Devon Docherty, Surge intern and masters student in Human-Animal Interactions, working towards improving the lives of animals and humanity’s connection to them. Interested in psychology, rewilding and increasing the animal rights perspective in academia. Devon Docherty | LinkedIn