Animal Justice Project (AJP), with the support of TV celebrity Peter Egan, has secured sanctuary placement for 51 Jersey cows at Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk and has launched a nationwide petition urging the farmer to relinquish the animals. Campaigners say that a sanctuary home would allow these “working mothers” to live out the rest of their lives in peace, free from the threat of slaughter.
The development follows news that the historic Blanc Pignon Dairy Farm in Jersey is closing its doors after 80 years of operation. Campaigners say that whilst this marks the end of an era for the Jersey-based farm, it also opens the door to a brighter future for the herd, one where the cows can leave the dairy industry behind and live in peace.
With the farm’s future sealed, the fate of its entire herd now hangs in the balance. Farm Director Alice Le Cras has expressed hope that the cows will be taken on by other local farms, a move that would keep them within the dairy industry and ultimately see them sent for slaughter.
Le Cras told the BBC that “dairy cows are also very hard working and, you know, farmers love their animals – you want to have the best facilities.”
AJP is urging the farm to demonstrate this by allowing the cows retirement at Hillside Animal Sanctuary, run by Wendy Valentine, which provides a home to over 750 rescued cows, along with many other animals saved from the farming industry.
Campaigners say that whilst farmers are leaving this tough industry due to mounting pressures, the cows deserve the same chance at a new beginning.
Celebrity Support for the Rehoming
Peter Egan, veteran British actor known for roles in Downton Abbey, said:
“I am delighted that Hillside Animal Sanctuary has offered lifelong sanctuary to these cows. It will be an immense relief for them to leave behind the hardships and inherent cruelty of dairy farming. To know they could live out their days in peace, cared for and free from harm, is truly heartening.”
A Forever Home Awaits
Wendy Valentine, Founder of Hillside Animal Sanctuary, said:
“Hillside Animal Sanctuary would gladly offer a home to these beautiful Jersey cows where they will be able to live out their natural lives. Please make the compassionate choice.”
This would not be unprecedented. In 2017, Hillside Animal Sanctuary rescued 73 cows donated by farmer Jay Wilde, proving that compassion can win and that there is another way.
Ayrton Cooper, Campaigns Director, Animal Justice Project, said:
“With the price of milk going up, and so many farmers exiting the dairy industry, it is vital that the cows can leave the industry too. After years of being milked, they deserve a chance to live life on their own terms. So together, let’s save the Jersey 51.”
After years of producing milk for human consumption, campaigners say the cows deserve the chance to simply exist – to graze, rest, and live out their lives in peace. The reality of the commercial dairy industry is stark. Cows are typically killed at just five years old, a fraction of their natural lifespan. At sanctuary, these cows could live for up to 25 years.
AJP is urging the public to act quickly by signing the petition and showing the farmer that there is demand for change, before these 51 cows lose what campaigners say is their only chance at freedom.