Daisy's story
Daisy came to Uncle Neil’s Home with her best friend Minnie on July 30, 2020. We were sent a photo of two cows who found themselves in an abusive situation on a farm in Shippensburg, PA, after they were on their way to the slaughterhouse, and for unknown reasons, did not make it there. The photo showed two emaciated cows huddled together in a corner, and we knew at that moment that we had to step in. We did not yet have any cows, nor did we have a pasture set up for them as we had recently purchased the sanctuary, but that didn’t stop us. We went to the farm and picked them up to bring them home that day.
When Daisy first arrived at UNH, she was absolutely terrified of us. During the first week at the sanctuary, we let her decompress in a cozy stall with Minnie. She received lots of treats, hay, fresh straw each day, and we played soft music with hopes of easing her fear and anxiety. We worked quickly to fence in their pasture, knowing it would be the first time that she would be stepping on grass. When we were finally finished getting the pasture ready, we opened Daisy and Minnie’s stall door, and Daisy stepped outside first, very hesitantly. After a few seconds of standing in place, she leaped and took off around the pasture for an hour! It was so beautiful to watch her first steps of freedom. From that day forward, she slowly became happier and more confident as time went on.
As time goes by, she has completely transformed into a silly, curious, loving cow compared to the day we first met her. She is so gentle, loves human affection and spends her days grazing with her herd, her new family. Daisy is the matriarch of the herd. She is very protective of everyone, so she doesn’t allow new members in easily, but once she does, they’re in her heart forever. Her best friend is still Minnie, though, bonded over the trauma that they endured together and how they’ve managed to overcome it together, too. Daisy will live a long, happy life with us at UNH.