In 2023, a three-week-old blind calf named Alfred arrived here with his mother, Arwen. He had been born into a small beef farm. We pushed hard to bring him and his mom to safety, knowing that their best chance at life was together. From the start, Arwen cared for him deeply, grooming him, calling to him, and keeping him close.
Our sweet Alfred was a fighter, and he fought hard for life. We could see his personality shining through, as he had many moments of silliness, joy, curiosity about his new surroundings, and affection towards his mother, us, our dog Mika, and even Havok one of the friendly barn cats. But despite two weeks of round the clock effort, monitoring and sleepless nights, as well as the tremendous efforts of our local vet team and the doctors at Cornell Farm Animal Hospital, Alfred’s body could not overcome the neglect he experienced in his first days of life. He passed away as a baby, with his last weeks being full of the love, care and dignity he should have had from the beginning. His time with us was short, but he changed us forever. He reminded us why sanctuary work matters and why every life deserves a chance.
Alfred’s legacy is felt all around the sanctuary, in the lives that followed him. We had initially planned to let Alfred and Arwen share the pasture with the sheep, as it is easier terrain to navigate, and the sheep are a smaller crew of pasture mates for a blind calf and his elderly momma. When Alfred passed, Arwen mourned him so deeply it broke our hearts. Eventually, we were able to take in Aethelred as a calf, who immediately saw Arwen as a mother figure, possibly even sensing her pain and wanting to comfort her. After a short while, Arwen began to connect deeply with Aethelred, taking him in as a “foster” son – grooming him, watching over him, loving him. This bond helped her to heal, and we could see the change in her, from her mourning to her newfound happiness. With the space in the sheep pasture no longer committed to Alfred and Arwen, we were able to rescue a lovely bunch of sheep from different situations, and our flock grew from 3 sweet sheepies to 10. Iggy and Izzie, Chloe with her babies Eleanor and Cornelius, Gwen and her best friend Bronwynn, were all rescued and found love, safety and happiness here. The last soul saved as a result of Alfred’s legacy is Aethelbert the “mini” highland cow, who was surrendered to sanctuary when his previous human moved. We took Aethelbert in to save him from a life of being a “cute” photo prop, or petting zoo attraction, as is often the fate with “mini” highlands, and also so that Aethelred would have a younger companion to bond with, since Arwen who he is clearly closest with, is elderly. Each of these sweet souls are alive, well and happy today because of Alfred.
We will always carry Alfred in our hearts. His life, though brief, is a reminder of both the cost of neglect and the power of compassion. We invite you to honor him by choosing kindness, by going vegan, and by helping us continue this work so that more lives like his can be saved.
