Joaquin Phoenix: Celebrating Liberty’s First Mother’s Day

Liberty and Indigo

Joaquin Phoenix: Celebrating Liberty’s First Mother’s Day

You might remember, a few months ago, I helped rescue a cow and her newborn baby calf.

Liberty was pregnant when she was set to be slaughtered. An incredible set of circumstances, including the birth of her calf and a slaughterhouse owner’s refusal to separate a mother from her baby, led to this beautiful pair being rescued by LA Animal Save and Farm Sanctuary. I’m so happy to share this video update with you today.

Motherhood Saved this Cow's Life
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Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It’s impossible not to smile at the love that radiates from Liberty for her calf, Indigo, or the marvelous curiosity they share for their new life roaming spacious land in permanent sanctuary. Thanks to generous supporters like you, Liberty is able to nurse Indigo, bond with her, protect her, and watch her grow up—just as nature intended.

Although we cannot rescue our way out of animal agriculture, I hope you will always know Liberty and Indigo as living embodiments of liberation and as ambassadors for a compassionate vegan lifestyle.

Please join me—in the spirit of Liberty’s first Mother’s Day at Farm Sanctuary—and adopt them today!

Warm regards,

Joaquin Phoenix

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As a Farm Sanctuary member, you change lives through your care and compassion. Because of you, we can save farm animals from the very worst … and then give them (and their families) our very best.

For a one-time donation of $35, you can support a rescued animal family through our Adopt a Farm Animal Program. These “symbolic adoptions” fund their lifelong care, as well as our work to end farm animal cruelty. In gratitude for your gift, we’ll send a digital certificate featuring your adoptive families. Print this Mother’s Day card for yourself, or email it to the special people in your life.

Meet the loving moms you can adopt this Mother’s Day:

Liberty & Indigo

Liberty and Indigo

Motherhood saved Liberty’s life. The Wagyu cow was already at the slaughterhouse when she gave birth to her daughter, Indigo. In most cases, mother and baby would have faced the kill floor regardless, in order to be “processed” for beef. But the president and CEO of Manning Beef thought Indigo and Liberty deserved a chance. With help from actor and activist Joaquin Phoenix, we welcomed the pair to our Southern California shelter. This is Liberty’s first Mother’s Day, and we look forward to many more to come!

Adopt Liberty and Indigo

Mia pig & her babies

Mia pig

Motherhood is a vital part of Mia’s identity. As a former “breeding sow” on a pig farm, she had likely lost children to slaughter. Others had died from neglect; the owner of the farm had left his 80+ pigs without proper food, shelter, or basic care. But all Mia wanted was to love and raise her family—and at Farm Sanctuary, she can do just that. Woody, Wayne, Crawford, Helena, and Iman are the first piglets she could ever watch grow up. With Mia as their protector, this tight family loves to explore by day and snuggle close each night.

Adopt Mia pig and her babies

Katie, Maple, & Josie

Katie, the mother sheep, with lambs Maple and Josie

At the time of her rescue, Katie was so malnourished from neglect that she could barely feed her two-month old twins. We learned about the trio—along with Katie’s partner, Kevin—from their former guardians, who had trouble taking care of them. They initially purchased Katie and Kevin from a sheep breeding facility. Thankfully, instead of facing slaughter—or becoming “breeding ewes” like their mother—Josie and Maple will grow up at Farm Sanctuary with their mother and father by their side. Katie also serves as the “Barn Mom,” taking newcomer orphaned lambs under her wing.

Adopt Katie, Maple, and Josie