A Cow Ran Away from a Slaughterhouse Days Before She Was Scheduled to Die. Then, the Community Rallied Behind Her

Mootilda made a run for it — and it worked!

In August, a cow escaped from a meat processing plant in San Tan Valley, Ariz., according to Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary. After breaking free in the Arizona summer heat, the cow wandered through traffic and grazed by a pond. Her adventure didn’t last long; she was soon surrounded by police cars and returned to the plant, where she was scheduled to be slaughtered in a few days.

When Aimee Takaha, the owner of the farm animal sanctuary, saw the cow’s brave escape, she knew she had to help. In an interview with ABC15 Arizona, she said, “When I first saw the video, I said, ‘I can take her here.'”

But there was one problem: money.

On Aug. 25, Takaha shared on Facebook that the cow had been captured and would die in “a day or two.” She said she had spoken with the animal’s owner, who had bought the cow through the processing plant, about taking her in.

The owner set the price: $2,500 — and he wanted the cow within 24 hours.

Thankfully, Takaha wasn’t the only one who wanted to save the cow. Within 12 hours, she raised enough money from more than 60 donors, according to ABC15.

“I said, ‘I have the funds. Don’t you dare slaughter her tomorrow. You bring her here,'” Takaha told ABC15.

Mootilda arrived at the sanctuary on Aug. 26. Takaha posted on Facebook to thank the community for helping.

“This is a happy ending that the world needs right now,” she wrote. “She needed a happy ending, and she shall have one. I will strive to give her the best life a cow could have here at the sanctuary, just like all our residents, who each have a story of courage and perseverance.”

Takaha also wrote, “She will only know love from the moment she steps on the property. It may take her a few days to adjust after her ordeal. I will be patient with her, give her space while she gets oriented, and respect her courage and fighting spirit. She will be safe, she will be home.”

The cow, named Mootilda, has since settled at Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary on its 4-acre property in Arizona. Many of the sanctuary’s animals are “born different,” as Takaha told ABC15 Arizona.

“I take animals that might be missing a limb, need a prosthetic, or have some deformity and aren’t wanted,” she said. “Here, their differences are celebrated.”

Mootilda has grown more comfortable with the sanctuary, her owner, and the other animals, according to Facebook updates from Takaha. A Sept. 8 post showed her first “happy buck zoomies,” and a Sept. 10 update hinted that she may have found love. “Mootilda is just smitten with her man Adorabull,” Takaha wrote. “I see a wedding in the near future.. ❤ ❤.”

An earlier update on Sept. 7 said Mootilda was “making incredible progress on achieving good health and a calmer state of mind” since arriving at the sanctuary.

“Just look at the progress already!” Takaha wrote. “Amazing what some good nutrition, fresh cool water, grassy pastures, and a peaceful environment will do for a cow. She is some cow. She is a warrior. Thank you so much from the core of my being for your support that made this possible.”

While Mootilda still has a long way to go, Takaha told ABC15 there is a lot to celebrate: “We made it happen. We saved a life,” she said. “She’s not my cow, she’s our cow. She’s the community cow.”