PETA Wants Monty—the Calf With a Vermont-Shaped Mark—Sent to a Sanctuary

Famous Calf Deserves the Chance to Be an Ambassador for Her Species, Says Group

For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Today, PETA sent a letter to Alburgh, Vt., dairy farmers Jed and Mary Ladd encouraging them to send Monty—the newborn calf with a mark on her forehead that resembles the state of Vermont—to a farmed-animal sanctuary rather than using her to produce milk. As PETA points out, a sanctuary home would save Monty from the fate that typically awaits female calves born into the dairy industry: a sad life of being used as a milk machine.

“Monty’s unique marking is a reminder that cows, like all animals, are unique and interesting individuals who feel pain, fear, joy, love, and grief,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “PETA hopes the Ladds will allow Monty the opportunity to be an ambassador for her species at a sanctuary, where she could spend her life educating visitors about the intelligent and sensitive nature of cows.”

PETA has offered to help place Monty at a reputable farmed-animal sanctuary at no cost to the Ladds.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to Jed and Mary Ladd follows.

March 5, 2014

Jed and Mary Ladd
J & M Ladd Families Farm
97 Alburg Spring Rd.
Alburgh, VT 05440

Dear Mr. and Ms. Ladd:

On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I am writing to ask that you send Monty, the calf with the Vermont-shaped mark on her head, to a farmed-animal sanctuary so that she can live out the rest of her life in peace.

Monty’s markings are a reminder that cows, like all animals, are unique and interesting individuals. They feel pain, fear, joy, and love, just like the dogs and cats we share our homes with. Researchers have shown that cows form friendships over time and even hold grudges against other animals. They can learn to operate a lever in order to get food. They have good memories and can recognize more than 100 individual animals. Yet cows on dairy farms are treated as nothing more than milk machines.

Monty has captured the hearts of Vermonters and would make an excellent ambassador for her species. I hope you will contact me so that I can help you find a reputable sanctuary for Monty, where she can spend her life educating visitors about the intelligent and sensitive nature of cows.

Sincerely,

Alicia Woempner
Special Projects Manager