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She made a daring
dash from a New
York City slaughterhouse
in Queens…and
won the hearts of
thousands of people
who joined her quest
for freedom.
We're talking of
course about "Queenie",
a young cow who
was slated for slaughter
at Astoria Live
Poultry, a meat
market that keeps
live animals and
allows customers
to choose the animals
they want butchered.
After hearing the
screams of other
animals, Queenie
made her own choice
— a choice
any animal would
make in the same
situation if given
a chance. After
escaping from the
slaughterhouse,
Queenie ran several
blocks through the
streets of New York
City, surprising
motorists and passers-by.
Though she avoided
capture at first,
the five hundred
pound cow was finally
caught after a wild
chase with NYPD
cars, local authorities
and a tranquilizer
gun.
Queenie's freedom
dash was quickly
picked up by the
media — and
her story spread
throughout the country.
Queenie's courageous
escape was featured
on national television,
and millions of
viewers saw a frightened
cow running from
the slaughterhouse,
clearly aware of
the fate that had
awaited her.
Hundreds of calls
poured into The
Center for Animal
Care and Control
and Astoria Live
Poultry, urging
both the agency
and the slaughterhouse
owner to release
the animal to a
sanctuary where
she could live out
the remainder of
her life.
Alerted to the
cow's plight by
Farm Sanctuary members,
the sanctuary immediately
contacted the animal
control agency and
offered to provide
Queenie a safe,
loving and permanent
home. For several
hours, it was unclear
if the agency would
obtain custody of
the cow, but public
sentiment and pressure
paid off —
and the slaughterhouse
owner agreed to
give the cow to
the city. In statements
to newspapers, Aladdin
El-sayed, owner
of the Astoria Live
Poultry, which is
a halal slaughterhouse
stated:
"God
was willing to
give it a new
life, so why wouldn't
I?" (Newsday).
El-sayed also
stated he had
paid $500 for
the cow, and had
been fined $1,000
for causing an
"animal nuisance".
The Health Department
may fine him an
additional $2,000.
El-sayed claimed
he "lost
a lot of money,”
but that it didn't
matter because
in his own words,
"There is
something with
this cow."
(Daily News)
After receiving
the word on Friday
afternoon that Queenie
would be given to
Farm Sanctuary,
the animal transport
vehicle was rolling
to New York City
by Friday night.
Farm Sanctuary picked
up Queenie from
the JFK Airport
where she was being
held and drove her
directly to its
New York Shelter.
Queenie jumped off
the trailer amid
cheers from the
sanctuary staff…and
loud 'welcome' moos
from the shelter
cows.
Queenie's quest
has also launched
a neighborhood effort
to close the slaughterhouse.
Like Queenie seizing
her moment for freedom,
residents have seized
the news attention
to draw attention
to their demand
to close the meat
market. Among their
concerns reported
in the New York
Post, residents
stated:
"This
is a market that
we don't believe
is treating anything
humanely, and
we want to see
it closed for
that reason alone...Through
the night, you
can hear the screaming
of the animals.
I don't know what
they are doing
to them".
Read
more animal stories»
Pictures courtesy of Farm Sanctuary and Derek Goodwin for Farm Sanctuary. |
