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The cows need your help! A donation of any amount will go towards making it possible for the Stephan family to continue running the Sanctuary. You can
donate by clicking the PayPal button above and entering an amount to give from your credit or debit card, or you can donate by cash or check at any
upcoming Blue Spirit Wheel or Bhakti Messenger events. If you have questions, please email Ian Boccio: ian@chantlanta.org
Please read the following introduction by Susan Stephan:
Thank you so much for visiting our Sacred Cow Sanctuary and Animal Rescue site!
Susan, Angel-Malaya and Werner (Rajan) Stephan
15 years ago, we moved from Florida to Georgia to accept a teaching position, or so we thought! It turned out that the universe had other plans for us.
We found a wonderful rental house in the middle of 250 acres, but had no idea that we had moved right into the middle of a beef cow farm. We came to
intimately know and love each precious mommy and baby, and soon needed to do everything we could to keep them off the slaughterhouse truck that came
every 6 months. We knew we could never leave there, because as soon as we did, every single one we were protecting would soon be slaughtered. We stayed
for 12 years and have tried to protect as many as we could. It has been very hard sometimes, but always deeply precious. Then, in 2009, our most
heroic efforts to save 6 of our favorite calves took a miraculous turn when they were all selected by a neighboring farmer to live out their lives in
the pasture just next door! Little did we know that, just a few months later, these very same calves would be welcoming us to the next phase of our
lives too. Within 6 months, our house burned to the ground. We lost all of our possessions and our 2 cats, but worse than that we lost the ability to
save the lives of so many cows, a tragedy for them!
Then, the same neighboring farmer offered us a house to rent until we could get it together. With heavy hearts we drove up to see the house and who
should be waiting there to see us? Those very same calves we had saved! With 70 acres to roam, they chose that spot at that second to welcome us.
We cried in joy and knew we would make it. Because of them we had the courage to shout out "We may have lost everything, but we will NOT stop trying
to save the cows!!!" We gathered up all our money, hoping to buy and save the favorite cows we left behind. Our prior landlord fought us fiercely
and finally it took the 70 year old farmer we now lived with to convince this man to let us buy them. Finally, scared and thrilled, we could buy
9 and brought them with us next door! This place is also another beef farm, but one we watch over like hawks, and we have been saving as many as
we can for the past 3 years.
But now, after 15 years of paying for everything out of our own pocket for all of the cows, we have run out of money. We had lost all of our jobs
in the bad economy and recently our van as well. With no sources of income, we will have to move out, abandoning the cows here and knowing full
well how quickly they will end up in a slaughterhouse. My favorite cow is old and cannot walk far or take care of herself. Our precious new born
calf broke his leg and had to lose it. He is cheerful and can run about on his three legs, but he still needs surgery. They cannot be turned out
to a deadly pasture. Each and every one is important, has a family and a story, just like you do... and every one deserves to live!
So, we are asking for donations! Your life could not be more valuable than when you help another keep theirs! Please share your life, your love, and
your abundance to save their lives!
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