Before coming to Farm Sanctuary, this inspiring survivor escaped slaughter and fled to the forest, finding refuge among a group of deer who became her second family. Thanks to additional support from a compassionate neighbor, Bonnie beat the odds and made her way to our New York shelter. Here, our resilient new friend will spend her life in peace, surrounded by caring humans and a loving herd of her fellow rescued cows.

Just like dogs, cats, and other companion animals, farm animals deserve lives free from harm. Last year, Bonnie embarked on an inspiring journey proving the lengths they will go to achieve just that.

Born on a farm in Holland, New York where cattle were raised for beef, Bonnie spent her early months surrounded by a loving herd of family and friends.

But last August, when her owner passed away, his family decided to sell the herd. Bonnie was just four months old at the time—still very young and reliant on her mother, yet old enough to know that something terrible was happening. She watched in fear as her loved ones bellowed and tried resisting the farmers’ attempts to move them. As the farmers loaded the trailer, Bonnie seized the first opportunity she had and ran away into the nearby woods.

Over the next few months, Bonnie became something of a local celebrity. People marveled at the plucky calf who had resisted slaughter, and they continued looking for her in the woods near her old home. Aside from quick, uncertain glimpses, however, she remained hidden in plain sight. But that wouldn’t be the case for long: Once hunters started picking her up on their wildlife cameras, people began seeing Bonnie as she truly was.

And what they saw amazed them. Already impressed by her will to live, they were amazed to see just how she was living—and who she was living with. Bonnie had found solace with a herd of deer, and they seemed just as fond of her. Since cattle are herd animals—and Bonnie had lost her original herd—this support system helped her through a trying time. They ate, slept, and ran together—and the deer accepted her as their own.

The Holland community became just as smitten with this elusive “cow-deer,” growing more and more excited every time she appeared on the trail cams. As much as they wanted to help her, however, Bonnie was desperately afraid. She became as elusive as a deer, disappearing into the forest whenever people appeared—only trusting the deer who had become her second family.

As a domesticated animal, however, Bonnie would not survive in the wild without help for very long—especially in Holland’s woods, which accumulated three feet of snow this past winter. Fortunately, Bonnie had a kind human neighbor who knew this and wanted to help: an animal lover named Becky, who happened to live in Bonnie’s neck of the woods. At first, Bonnie was terrified of Becky; humans had once betrayed her family, and she had no reason to trust that Becky’s intentions would be any different. Still, Becky gently persisted, determined to help Bonnie survive the winter months.

Becky trekked through the snow every day, using a sled to bring food and fresh bedding for Bonnie. In time, Bonnie began to trust her—even the deer started to approach Becky for some food and affection—and they settled into a routine. Unlike the first humans in Bonnie’s life, Becky saw and valued her as she truly was: not as “beef,” but as someone, not something.

Still, Bonnie wasn’t out of the woods just yet. While most members of the community were “Team Bonnie,” she occasionally wandered onto neighboring properties, whose owners threatened to kill and eat her if captured. Becky also knew that the woods were no place for a cow, and that Bonnie deserved the chance to live and thrive in a safe, appropriate setting. By this time, Bonnie had been out on her own for about eight months. Becky knew that time was running out, so she asked Farm Sanctuary to help Bonnie find her way home.

Since Bonnie met Becky every morning at 6:30 for her breakfast, we planned to get there bright and early—leaving Farm Sanctuary at 3:30 a.m. each day—to increase our chances of catching her. Bonnie, understandably, was still terrified of people—the only human she’d trusted so far is Becky—so we wanted to make sure she felt as safe as possible throughout the entire process. As we would soon learn, however, this rescue mission was easier said than done.

It took three trips, over the course of two weeks, to secure Bonnie and bring her to safety. Since it was too risky to try catching her in the woods, we built a corral around her eating space, patiently waiting to close her in. Bonnie was very wary of our presence, however; she only let Becky touch her, and would run away if anyone else got too close.

In time, Bonnie got used to entering the corral to eat. And finally, after a few unsuccessful attempts, we managed to close her into the pen, halter her, and walk Bonnie onto our trailer. Next stop: Farm Sanctuary.

Bonnie’s journey home was a true community effort; we couldn’t have done it without Becky; the Holland community, who looked out for Bonnie; and our dedicated staff members, who stopped at nothing to help our new friend come home. Now, you can be a part of her inspiring journey as well! Rescuing farm animals is the easy part—and Bonnie’s rescue was no easy feat. What comes next is just as important, if not more: We need your help to sustain Bonnie’s lifelong, individualized care at Farm Sanctuary. Please give today to be a part of this story as we honor our dear friend and the beautiful new life ahead of her.