It was around Valentine’s Day of 2019 when we got the call to help a calf with a broken heart. Young Pippi was born over a month premature at a New England dairy farm, and no one expected her to live for very long. The tiny calf had an incurable heart condition that left her too weak to stand, let alone play like other calves. At just three months old, she weighed less than a newborn and wasn’t thriving. As a result, dairy veterinarians suggested euthanasia to put her out of her misery.

But Pippi wasn’t miserable; despite her ailments, she seemed bright and cheerful. Thanks to a compassionate friend named Virginia, Pippi came to Farm Sanctuary, where she began the long process of healing. And heal, she did: A few weeks into Pippi’s new life at Sanctuary, she began to brighten—and before long, she could even walk without losing her breath. But something was still missing: Pippi was lonely, and missed the company of other bovines.

We couldn’t have asked for a better time to welcome Forrest into the Farm Sanctuary family.

Forrest’s mother died giving birth to him on a beef farm. To make matters worse, Forrest was also born with severe leg injuries; the tiny calf’s foot bent unnaturally beneath him, making it so that he couldn’t stand or walk properly. Injuries like Forrest’s are usually a death sentence, since farmers won’t pay to treat animals they plan to slaughter anyway. But something tugged at the heartstrings of the farmer and a farmhand, who fed him regular bottles to help him put on some much-needed weight. When they were unable to nurse him back to full health, they reached out to us.

Forrest arrived just in time. The small calf took to “big sister” Pippi right away, and found the security he craved after having lost his mother at such a young age. Pippi found a playmate and friend to keep her company. Together, they are helping each other heal—and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for them next.

This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to celebrate love in a new and meaningful way by sponsoring Pippi and Forrest or another of our featured farm animal valentines! Your one-time donation will help support your sponsored animals’ happy lives at sanctuary and make all of our rescue, education, and advocacy work possible. As a sponsor, you’ll receive a special digital valentine featuring your new animal friends, which can be printed for yourself or given as a Valentine’s Day gift to a compassionate loved one!