At the end of a life of exploitation—being impregnated each year, having their calves taken from them, and producing an unnaturally high amount of milk due to their selective breeding for maximal profit—cows used for dairy are sent to slaughter at around 4.5 to 6 years old. Many suffer from mastitis infections, and some are exhausted, injured, or ill when they reach the slaughterhouse. Some are cruelly forced to the killing floor, where they all face the same fate as cows raised for meat. In fact, around 3 million cows used for dairy are slaughtered for beef each year in the U.S.
Amid the smell of blood and terror, Liberty gave birth. Thankfully, this new mom and her daughter were surrendered to Farm Sanctuary. The following year, in 2021, 40 cows escaped from Manning Beef and ran for their lives through the streets of Los Angeles. Two of these animals, June B. Free and Susan came to live at Farm Sanctuary, too, with support from award-winning songwriter Diane Warren. Having healed from their past trauma, June and Susan are inseparable, much like Indigo and her protective and doting mother, Liberty.
