This painful but beautiful day is a powerful example of the hope and heartbreak of farm animal rescue. 

Many animals at Farm Sanctuary have been saved from abuse and neglect, and as they heal in the peace of sanctuary, it is a joy to watch them learn they will never have to fear again. Deep bonds form between them and their caregivers—bonds that make it hard to face the goodbyes we know will one day come.

A moving and affectionate ambassador for farm animals everywhere, Safran touched the lives of thousands of our visitors and followers. Safran was rescued when Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur found him as a newborn on a dairy farm. The following day, young Safran would have been sent to a calf ranch to be raised for meat.

Instead, Gene brought him to our California sanctuary, where Saffy quickly became a beloved member of our herd.

Saffy was a friend to everyone he met, but he was especially devoted to his best friend, Cowboy steer, who we lost earlier in 2024. These two gentle giants were as close as can be, always side by side, grooming and caring for each other.

As we can say about any person or animal we love, no amount of time with Safran would have been enough, but it was clear when we had to say goodbye. His legs could no longer withstand his massive size, the result of short-sighted, production-focused industry breeding to maximize profit. Saffy lay down on the ground, and he could no longer get back up, and the veterinarian knew letting him go would prevent him from suffering.

Safran’s final moments are a stark contrast to what animals face in slaughterhouses—the fate he escaped the day he was rescued. Safran died with friends. He felt no pain, only the comforting presence of people he knew and trusted. In animal agriculture, animals are forced to die alone or surrounded by others in terror. They die, never having even been offered a gentle touch.

The heartbreaking decision to euthanize a cherished friend is an inescapable and important part of sanctuary. Our strong and kind caregivers face these moments repeatedly because they love the animals they care for—and they know that sanctuary means offering the lives and deaths these individuals deserve and are denied in animal agriculture.

“Our beloved Saffy was the gentle leader of our cattle herd, the most perfect ambassador of his kind. Both fiercely trusting and trustworthy, his wisdom laid the pathway for nervous cows to join the herd and quickly know they were safe. All were at peace with Saffy around, not just his bovine friends but every human he touched,” says Brooke Marshall, Senior Wellness Manager at Farm Sanctuary LA. 

“He went down and could not get back up, his body burdened by age (11 years young) and an immensely unfair size. A dairy boy in a dinosaur body, but a puppy dog at heart and a loyal friend. While his fate was sealed as an eventual inevitability, we would never be ready for it. He took it with the most grace and humble understanding. He had many visitors and was shrouded in love. Here is Saffy watching his last sunrise.”