Rescue & Adoptions

In Loving Memory

Dolly

Dolly was blessed with a very long life. Rescued and brought to live at Farm Sanctuary at the age of eighteen, she lived with us for nearly twelve years. She was an integral part of our sanctuary family - a kind, gentle soul who gave tirelessly of herself and brought joy to those around her. We always felt privileged to know Dolly. Now that she is gone, we are learning just how much she meant to us.

Dolly had multiple health problems during her time at our New York Shelter, due in part to her long years spent as a working dairy cow. Widely known for her courage and resilience, though, she never let sickness get her down. She suffered from a degenerative hip condition, recurrent bouts of mastitis, and even battled cancer in 2000, but seemed to view these physical conditions as minor inconveniences. Always a spirited and enthusiastic cow, no ailment could dampen her spirits.

In times of both sickness and health, Dolly put the needs and interests of others before her own. She cared for countless orphaned calves rescued during her time here at our New York Shelter, mothering each as she would have her own. She welcomed these frightened, injured calves when they first arrived at the sanctuary, providing them with affection and comfort when they needed it most. Nurturing these babies brought joy and comfort to Dolly, as well as to the calves, because never before in her long life had she been allowed to keep and raise her own young. Here at Farm Sanctuary, for the first time, she got the chance to watch her babies growup.

Of all the calves Dolly fostered, she was closest to a blind steer named Arbuckle. Her love and concern for Arbuckle was unmistakable, and his feelings for her were equally as strong. From the day Dolly met Arbuckle as a young calf until the day he died, she loved and looked after him. Whenever he would get lost out in our pastures and was unable to find the gate that led back to the cattle barn, Dolly would appear by his side to guide him home. She was always there for him, gently nudging and directing him when he was separated from the herd, or disoriented, or startled. She knew when he needed her, and she never let him down.

By the time Arbuckle passed away in 2004, Dolly's health had already begun to deteriorate, and the degeneration in her hip was making it harder for her to get around. She mourned deeply the loss of her friend, but courageously pulled herself together in the wake of his death and recovered emotionally with the help of her dear friends Leo and Alby. Then, one day, she fell in our cattle barn and further injured her hip. After her fall, she began to show obvious signs of increased discomfort, and even with treatment, her pain only seemed to get worse. The local veterinarian told us that the bones in her hip had degenerated to a point where pain medicines could no longer be effective. Realizing that there were no treatment options left for Dolly, we made the decision to have her humanely euthanized.

Dolly fell asleep peacefully while we held her. We whispered our tearful goodbyes as she passed away, humbled by the example of her extraordinary life, and grateful to have known her.