Animals

Five animals who escaped from slaughter against all odds

After fighting their way from slaughterhouse to sanctuary, these animals have incredible stories to tell.

Amanda Waxman

Mar 19, 2021

After fighting their way from slaughterhouse to sanctuary, these animals have incredible stories to tell.

Baby pig and calf in the grass — Eli & Marley of Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary

“No animal wants to die”: This idea guides many animal activists through their advocacy. These five incredible stories of animals who broke free from their confinement, evading their fate of being slaughtered for food, prove that animals will go the greatest lengths to fight for their lives.

Frank, Farm Sanctuary

On April Fool’s Day, 2016, New Yorkers encountered something that might have looked like a prank: a bull wandering the busy streets. Frank, a black-and-white steer, escaped from a slaughterhouse in Queens and sought refuge at a nearby college campus, where students rushed to take photos of the bizarre sight. Once word got out, Frank was delivered to the Animal Care Center of New York City.

His fate was unclear, but no one wanted to see the now-famous steer hauled back to the slaughterhouse after his daring escape. This is where Farm Sanctuary stepped in, with friends Jon & Tracey Stewart driving Frank in the “getaway car” on the five-hour drive from the city to the Watkins Glen sanctuary. Now, five years later, Frank spends his days grazing in the pastures with his rescue cow friends. His story serves as a reminder that a little bit of compassion for animals can change their lives forever.

Eli & Marley, Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary

As they spend their days playing tag and enjoying the Florida sunshine at Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary, Eli the bull and Marley the pig prove that friendship transcends species. Although they are free to live out their lives in peace now, these two would not have crossed paths without fighting for survival on factory farms, and encountering some compassionate humans to help them along the way.

Eli was born on a dairy farm in Vermont, where he was deemed “useless” due to his inability to produce milk. In the dairy industry, most male calves are taken away from their mothers and slaughtered as babies to produce veal. Thankfully, Jason Bolalek, founder of Destination Liberation rescue, was able to negotiate Eli's safe release from slaughter and save his life, bringing him to Critter Creek.

On the journey down the Eastern Seaboard, they encountered Marley in North Carolina. Marley, just two weeks old, was small enough to escape the transport truck that was taking her to a facility to be “fattened” for slaughter. A kind stranger found her wandering alongside the road and took her to animal services, where she would start her journey to Critter Creek.

Upon arrival at the sanctuary, both Eli and Marley ran around the grass, enjoying the blue skies and newfound freedom. The pair are still the best of friends, and you can follow their adventures on Critter Creek’s Instagram.

Arabella, Goats of Anarchy

Drivers traveling along Interstate 80 in New Jersey were shocked to see a small goat grazing behind the guard rails within a few feet of cars and trucks speeding by. For days, the goat traversed steep cliffs through nasty weather, including a Nor’easter that hit the East Coast. The goat, affectionately nicknamed Blizzard, escaped from a trailer taking her to a livestock auction in Hackettstown, New Jersey, where she would likely be sold into the dairy industry.

Her rescuer, Nicole Asher of Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery, was determined to get the goat to safety, spending days trying to get her into an enclosure. After she finally descended the cliffs and entered Asher’s care, Asher got a call from Goats of Anarchy Sanctuary, which had recently rescued two other goats from the same Hackettstown Auction. These goats turned out to be Blizzard’s mother and twin brother, and the family was happily reunited at the sanctuary.

Now, Blizzard goes by Arabella, and she is able to live out her life peacefully, with the love of her family, friends, and human caregivers.

Victoria, Frie Vinger

Victoria Chicken Victoria at the sanctuary. Photo: Lina Lind Christensen

Victoria’s story began like most other chickens': born in a dark, windowless shed, surrounded by thousands of other chickens, where she was destined to live the entirety of her short life before being slaughtered for meat. But her story changed forever when she escaped on a cold winter night. Neighbors found her wandering in their garden, freezing and starving, in desperate need of shelter.

Lina Lind Christiansen, campaign manager for Anima Denmark and founder of Frie Vinger sanctuary, provided Victoria with a new home. Exhausted and scared, Victoria slept for days upon arrival. However, after some time to adjust to her new surroundings, she opened up and showed how loving, affectionate, and playful chickens like her can be.

Although their journeys took them to different places, Victoria, Roger, Frank, Eli, and Marley all show us that animals deserve better than a life of suffering on factory farms. Their stories inspire hope and compassion for the millions of other animals stuck within our broken food system. Take action to help us create a future where no animal has to suffer for food.