No mother or child should endure the heartache of losing their baby or their parent for someone’s profit. However, in a food system that commodifies motherhood, this happens daily. Mothers and children are continuously exploited, separated, and slaughtered all for human consumption.

Animal agriculture routinely separates families. In the United States, nearly 10 billion animals are slaughtered for food each year — many of those are still just babies. Cows used in dairy production are forcibly impregnated and then have their babies taken, and their milk stolen. In the United States, about 9 million cows are used to produce milk annually; in 2018, more than 3 million dairy cows were slaughtered for meat and more than 330 million hens were confined and expected to lay nearly 95 billion eggs.

At Farm Sanctuary, the harm stops, and the healing begins.

Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary has been combating the abuses of factory farming, advocating for institutional reforms, and encouraging a new awareness and understanding of farm animals and the benefits of plant-based living. Today our sanctuaries in Los Angeles, CA, and Watkins Glen, NY, house more than 600 rescued animals. These survivors are ambassadors, representing the billions of farm animals currently in the food system. They, and others like them, have changed the hearts and minds of generations.

Meet Bear, the Lost Lamb Who Found Her Family

Los Angeles-area animal control agents found Bear as a lamb, abandoned in an empty barn. The tiny newborn’s umbilical cord was still attached, and no one had cleaned her. Her mother was nowhere in sight, nor were any other sheep. At the most vulnerable time of her life, she was utterly alone.⁣⁣ Thanks to urgent medical attention, she survived — and with dedicated, loving care at Farm Sanctuary in Los Angeles, she began to thrive.

Bear has grown into a vocal, friendly adult despite her trauma and is now the biggest sheep at our California Sanctuary! She loves to meet our guests and often comes up beside them to ask for a back scratch.

A Cambridge University study found that sheep — like humans and some primates — can pick up emotional cues in humans and other sheep. Sheep are trusting, intelligent, social animals. Imagine what humans might learn from their behavior if we saw them as someone other than a resource to exploit.

“Adopt” Bear this Mother’s Day!

Celebrating and supporting mothers

On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the bond of motherhood in all its forms. Despite the circumstances of their previous lives, animals who arrive at Farm Sanctuary find family and community. Some residents arrive as mother-child pairs – but most come to us after being taken from their mothers, seeking refuge and finding support through a new herd or flock, with which they remain for life.

For many, sanctuary is where they can finally be a mom – or have one. We hope you will help us celebrate and honor motherhood in all its forms with a gift this holiday.

To support farm animal families this Mother’s Day, you can symbolically “adopt” rescued residents at Farm Sanctuary with a $35 donation. In gratitude, you’ll receive a digital adoption certificate featuring your chosen animal, which you can print for yourself or forward to someone you love – letting them know you made a gift in their honor.

With your generosity, you’ll help provide their ongoing care — including nutritious food, soft bedding, medical treatment, and the opportunity to live in community with other animals. You’ll also advance our rescue work to help more farm animal mothers and children in need, educate people about the conditions they face, and advocate for institutional reforms to build a more just and compassionate food system.

To learn more about our work to rescue farm animals and end animal agriculture, visit farmsanctuary.org. And if you’re able, please make a gift in support of farm animal families this Mother’s Day!