Jay Wilde came to understand that cows are sensitive beings. “I began to see that cows recognize each other, and they’ve got very good memories,” Wilde says of cows, “They experience a range of emotions – they can be sad, happy, bored or excited. They do also have facial expressions. You can tell what a cow is thinking by looking at them. I’ve even seen cows cry.”
He goes on to say, “It was very difficult to do your best to look after them and then send them to the slaughterhouse for what must be a terrifying death.” Seeing the plight of his cows, Wilde was moved to action. “I was very sympathetic, and I decided to do something about it.” So he sent his entire herd to an animal sanctuary. The cows now live happily and peacefully at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, England. Those cows were Wilde’s livelihood yet he decided to make a kind, courageous choice.
He’s now transitioning his farm into a vegan market farm. From now on, he’ll be supplying organic produce to stores instead of raising livestock.
Wouldn’t it be great if more animal farmers thought this carefully about how their business hurts the animals? It would, but we can’t wait for all of them to see the light. The best way to save the cows is simply following a plant-based diet. If people stop buying meat farmers will stop selling it!