The Original Herd

Tommy faced criticism from some people for “not just giving the cows to her,” but he wasn’t vegan at the time, and these cows, along with the land, were his retirement plans. As far as he was concerned, his wife was taking over his life, and he was none too happy about it—until he started to see how happy she was and how many vegans around the world truly cared. He began to realize that this transformation was inevitable. Once he accepted that his wife was about to buy the herd and donate them to the nonprofit she was establishing, the first thing he did was create what’s called a “bull pasture.” Since Renee wouldn’t let him sell the cows that would normally go to the sale barn, several had to be not only separated from “the herd” but also loaded into the “red trailer” to go to the vet for the “steering” process. 

At that time, the campaign had not yet been fully funded, and they were making no money. Despite this, Tommy decided to pull money from his account to cover the needs of turning the cattle ranch into a sanctuary. During the nearly four months that Renee was raising the money to take over the herd, nature took its course, and several of the cows became pregnant. Nine babies were born that year, and they will never know the horrors their family endured. It is heartwarming to watch these babies frolic and enjoy life with their mothers and friends.