Pippi & Forrest: Two Orphaned Calves Fall in Love at Farm Sanctuary

Pippi calf licking Forrest calf

Pippi & Forrest: Two Orphaned Calves Fall in Love at Farm Sanctuary

Name

Pippi and Forrest

Rescue Date

February 17, 2019; April 26, 2019

Quick Facts

Veterinary care saved these calves’ lives; their friendship helped to heal their hearts.

Meet Pippi and Forrest: two orphaned calves who survived rough beginnings and difficult losses in life, and came out on the other side to find the love and friendship they needed in each other.

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.

Quasimodo and Pippi

Milestones

  • After receiving lifesaving care at Cornell, Pippi comes home to Farm Sanctuary.

  • Following vet care to fix his leg, Forrest comes home to Farm Sanctuary.

  • Pippi meets new rescue Forrest; their friendship helps these lonely calves heal.

  • Pippi & Forrest are featured in our Valentine’s Day Adopt a Farm Animal Program.

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.

These Rescued Calves Love Each Other So Much
Download Audio

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] She just kept following him around and around and around. She's like, love me.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Pippi came to us around Valentine's Day of 2019. She was born on a dairy, but she was born a month premature. She had a hole in her heart, which caused her to be pretty weak. Even just walking a few steps, she would get pretty winded.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Sometimes we would be able to arrange play dates with her and Alondra goat. But I think, Pippi really missed being with other cow friends. Well, Forrest was born on a bee farm. His mom passed away giving birth to him. Forrest had issues with one of his legs that was bent unnaturally underneath him, so he had difficulty walking. Someone who worked at the farm had become pretty attached to Forrest and reached out to us to see if we would take him.

Pippi was a little overly excited to have a new roommate. She instantly fell in love with him. It's astounding to think that a cow with a broken heart and another who can barely walk have come so far in such a short amount of time. But I really believe that that's what the power of friendship and the power of sanctuaries can do.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

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!