Injured cow comes to sanctuary

The heifer with the bleeding and damaged horn that prompted the investigation of a Santa Cruz County slaughterhouse has a new home at the Farm Sanctuary in Orland.

She joins 12 goats seized by Santa Cruz County Animal Control officers in early May after Animal Control Officer Todd Stosuy discovered her at the slaughterhouse and seized a number of the animals for allegedly being malnourished and neglected.

The heifer is unnamed at this point and is estimated to be about a year old, Sanctuary staff members said.

Shelter manager Leanne Cronquist said the heifer came to the farm about a week ago, shortly after being officially released to Santa Cruz Animal Control Services, and she was brought here May 21.

Her horn remains bandaged and may have a slight infection, Cronquist said, Tuesday, but she appears to be doing well. The heifer remains in an isolated barn stall for treatment and quarantine before she joins the Sanctuary's main herd.

In the meantime, the majority of the 12 goats taken from the slaughterhouse and brought to Farm Sanctuary on May 6 are doing well, she said.

The young kids are getting used to people, and their mothers are getting used to their new home and fattening up.

However, a "downer' goat that was unable to stand had to be euthanized, Cronquist said, a few days after coming to the sanctuary farm. She had pneumonia and just was not responding to medication, so staff opted to put her out of her suffering, she said.

A pregnant goat from the group is expected to have her kid or kids in another two to three weeks, Cronquist added, and visitors will be welcome to see the baby and or its siblings once they are strong enough. Several of the new goats have twin kids already, which is exciting to the staff, she said.

The goats also had their hooves trimmed because they allegedly were overgrown and many had hoof rot, Cronquist said.

Stosuy reportedly told Sanctuary officials all of the seized animals had been acquired by the slaughterhouse owner for an auction or raised on the property for slaughter to local customers.

These goats also are being kept in a quarantine barn while they recover, but will eventually be put in with the farm's main herd, Cronquist said.

Visitors may still come to see the sanctuary animals via guided tours on Saturdays through October.

The Memorial Day holiday brought about 75 people to Farm Sanctuary's 300-acre farm on Newville Road across from Black Butte Lake.

Cronquist said the turnout was good, and she speculated people are traveling closer to home these days because of high gas prices.

The sanctuary is home to cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and rabbits primarily taken in from animal control agencies or humane organizations not having room for livestock.

For more information, call the Orland shelter at 865-4617 or contact the national organization in Watkins Glen, N.Y. at 607-583-2225 or look at its Web site at www.farmsanctuary.org.