Meet Luna: The Baby Calf the Dairy Industry Wanted to Kill

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.care2.com/causes/meet-luna-the-baby-calf-the-dairy-industry-wanted-to-kill.html


by Abigail Geer July 26, 2014 5:30 pm





Rescued from the dairy industry at just four days old, Luna the calf is lucky to be alive.

After being born premature, her chances of survival were slim, but that was only the start of what she was up against.

Luna’s mother had a common disease in cattle which can cause abortion, and one which can also be passed from infected cows to their fetuses.

The farm didn’t want to take the risk of raising her to later find that she was unable to give birth, and therefore unable to give milk, which is the primary purpose of a cow born into the dairy industry.


FULL story at link.

[flvegan]

1. What a face!

Nice story. As one who doesn't partake in dairy (obviously, for obvious reasons) it's good to read these now and again. Thank you, sir.

[Marie Marie]

2. Adorable.

These sweet and gentle animals are so often mistreated. Glad Luna has been spared.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Kick for the Greatest Page!

[LeftyMom]

4. Sanctuaries are the best.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Kick

[Heidi]

6. Kick for Luna!

[MineralMan]

7. It's good that the calf was rescued.

Brucellosis, or "contagious abortion" as it is commonly called, is an infectious disease that is a real danger at dairy farms. Highly contagious, it can infect a dairy herd and cause economic disaster for the dairy farmer. It can also be contracted by humans, causing undulant fever. When it crops up in a dairy herd, any infected animals, including this calf, must be isolated immediately.

Worse, the entire herd may be quarantined by the state if it occurs in multiple cows in the herd. There is a vaccination for brucellosis that is given to calves to prevent this disease from entering a herd.

It's not as simple a situation as described in the article at the link.

I'm glad this calf was saved, but the story is not as simple as it seems, and brucellosis in a dairy herd is a very serious matter that can lead to the slaughter of the entire herd and put a dairy farm out of business.

Knowledge is good. Learn more at the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brucellosis
http://cattletoday.info/brucellosis.htm

[LittleBlue]

8. Luna