Now that more than a week has passed since I wrote the post about raising our own cattle, I wanted to follow up on a couple of questions people asked in their comments. But first, that's Suzette above with her calf Suzanna in a photo we took late last fall.
I will admit, we posted that announcement about humanely raised pet food on the blog with real trepidation. We had no idea what kind of response we would get, but we assumed quite a bit would be negative and some people would be even hostile. Yet with very few exceptions, the response was amazingly positive. Many of the comments on the blog were incredibly thoughtful and insightful, and it was clear in reading through them that a lot of people have been wrestling with this very same issue. Some had found the solution (or compromise) that worked for them, others were still searching, and others were now thinking about it for the first time ... and in an entirely new light. It was, over all, a very heartening response.
We just had another long and very thoughtful comment posted yesterday by Marisa, a vegan, who wrote in part:
"With all these thoughts churning through my mind, I only have great respect for you and Alayne because you don't hide from the hard facts that most of us try to sweep under the carpet. You have made the links transparent. Sebastian will be fed to Fuzzy. Sebastian must die for this to happen. Fuzzy will live.
This is the very basic truth and everyone who eats meat or feeds meat to their companion animals needs to understand that this means the death of another animal who is just as much in love with life as we and our animals are. They frolic in the grass, they love their mothers and they enjoy basking in the warmth of the sun's rays.
If we have cats and dogs we are complicit in the deaths of other animals and I have NEVER seen another rescue acknowledge this and take responsibility for it. Absolutely astounding. I believe there is still hope for the world yet."
I think Marisa captured the real essence of why this is such a difficult, complicated and emotional subject for all of us who care about animals. Thank you to Marisa and all of you who offered your heartfelt comments.
The two questions I wanted to address were:
1. One person asked why we couldn't just buy the meat from someone else who was raising cattle in a humane way. There are two reasons: The first is that it would still be a way for us to avoid taking personal responsibility for their lives and how they were raised; the second is that it would be much, much more expensive, because now you're paying someone else to raise and feed them. That would make it far too costly.
2. A number of people asked if we knew about Dr. Temple Grandin, a well-known expert on humane livestock handling who is an animal science professor at Colorado State University. Yes, we do, and we purchased a copy of her book Humane Livestock Handling back in 2008 and set up our handling facilities based on her work. Her livestock website is here and her personal website is here. She's an amazing person who has had a remarkable life.
A funny story about Suzette: She was in the original group of heifer calves we got in 2008. One day not too long after she arrived, she was letting me scratch her back and sides (we were still very much in the 'getting-to-know-you' stage) when all of a sudden she raised up her left rear leg. I thought she was about to kick me -- cows kick slightly forward and then out to the side, kind of a fast sweeping motion, completely different from the full-on rear kicks horses do -- so I jumped back. She put her leg down. I resumed scratching. She lifted her leg again ... but didn't kick. She just held her leg up in the air. I thought, well, that is odd. This time I warily kept scratching ... and started working my way down her side towards her hip. The next thing I knew, I was scratching inside her thigh ... and that's what she was trying to tell me by raising up her leg. "See, this is where I need you to scratch me." The more I scratched inside her thigh, the higher she'd raise her leg. All I'd have to do is reach inside her thigh and she'd lift up her leg. I finally figured it out. After that day, whenever I began scratching her sides, she'd cock up one of her rear legs so I could get inside her thighs. Go figure.
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Love the 'training' comment! Thank you again for your amazing and honest work. And to add to the others, I have been unable to vote either at home or at work, so hopefully animalrescue will get the kinks worked out soon! God Bless.
Posted by: Linda | March 06, 2011 at 05:05 PM
I think understand what you are doing and I am not judging you. I have rescued several dogs and cats in my life (I'm almost 70), but I do have a hard time understanding that you can even humanely kill intelligent and lovable animals such as the cow to whom you even gave a name to. Would you gave names to chickens? I guess you might. I have never fed beaf to any of my rescued pets. I do feed them dry food that contains chickens and rice. Perhaps I think that chickens don't seem to be as loving and as intelligent as cows. I may be wrong. But, I feel that a cow to whom you give a name to would be difficult to be killed to feed another animal. I had nightmares since I read the last email about what you are doing. By the way, I am not a vegetarian, I do eat chickens and fish, but not beaf.
Posted by: Gabrielle Collier | March 06, 2011 at 12:59 AM
Nature does for nature what we agonize over. The Hawk brings down the pigeon for food, the lion brings down the antelope. The fox hunts rodents, and in return, higher ups hunt those that have fed. It is the rhythm of the food chain. To allow for and accept this, and, in doing so, do so humanely can only be part of a positive approach towards a very old directive - "Care for them as I would care for you", for all living things deserve dignity. Thank you.
Posted by: Sylve Davis | March 05, 2011 at 07:09 PM
Nothing to do with the blog, but I have been unable to vote today. It tells me my session has timed out..just an FYI
Posted by: Mary Ellen | March 05, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Hi there - having trouble with the votring website both yesterday and today - says an error has occured and i cannot get past that point - anyone else haviang trouble or know how to overcome thanks
wendy greenspan [email protected]
Posted by: wendy greenspan | March 05, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Steve, I am very glad that you did today's post and included Marisa's comments. I was thinking the exact same thing. As painful as it was for me to read your original post on this topic, I knew you were acting with the greatest compassion.
I read your blog daily; as a new admirer, I am only now catching up with the past posts, so as to have a full understanding of your journey -- currently up to March 2007!
I continue to have the deepest admiration for the work you and Alayne do! Bravo!
Sincerely,
Ursula R.
Posted by: Ursula Rudd | March 05, 2011 at 12:39 PM
Thanks for the original and follow up posts on a topic that the majority of people (such as myself) don't know anything about. Very insightful and thoughtful.
We humans consume meat and never give a thought as to how it gets to us. We just go to the meat section of the supermarket and there it is. Animals, as well, need meat. I'd rather see you do what you're doing and knowing exactly how the entire process works and that it's humane.
Again, thanks for the information and the thoughtful posts!
Posted by: Ann | March 05, 2011 at 04:06 AM
Oh gosh Steve ... too funny about the cow lifting her leg up for a better scratch! I liked Janet's post and can just see a pasture full of cows with their legs up ... waiting for their turn. Just be careful ... NO COW TIPPING! Ha ha
Seriously though, good posts on a difficult topic.
Posted by: Lisa K. from CA | March 04, 2011 at 07:10 PM
Great follow up Steve. The way you and Alayne have chosen to live your lives continues to inspire me. Thank you for once again being the catalyst for my own introspection. This time concerning the food that we feed our pets....and ourselves!
Posted by: Ev | March 04, 2011 at 06:15 PM
As a vegan, I have been struggling with your previous post, too. Not because I thought there was anything wrong with what you were doing.
I have cats and I know they are carnivores and must eat meat to stay well. I think Marisa's comments posted here have helped me put it in better perspective.
Sometimes there are no easy, peaceful, uncomplicated solutions. Life is a zero-sum game much of the time. The best we can do is the 'best under the circumstances.' Seldom do we have the opportunity to control those circumstances, but it is incumbent upon us to take advantage of them and act on them when we do.
I know that if I had my own farm, I would have animals whose milk and eggs and honey I would use. This goes against the "purist" vegan notion of not exploiting animals under any circumstances. I could do this because I would give them the best life they could have while they are doing what they would be doing anyway. There is no comparison to the life of farmed animals--a short, gruesome life.
I also know that I simply don't like meat enough to slaughter an animal for it, so I'm still not sure how I'd feed my animals, but I sure do respect what you're doing.
Thanks for sharing all your thoughts on this topic.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | March 04, 2011 at 05:54 PM
THANK YOU MARISA FOR YOUR INSIGHTFUL COMMENT. YOU SAID IT ALL SO COMPLETELY.
STEVE I THINK WHAT YOU AND ALAYNE ARE DOING IS WONDERFUL. SMART COW THAT SUZETTE, SHE'LL PROBABLY START TEACHING THE OTHER COWS THE SAME TRICK.
Posted by: FELICIA | March 04, 2011 at 03:09 PM
Steve, we already know the dogs train you but now the cows are training you too? ;)
Posted by: Lynne Parker | March 04, 2011 at 02:20 PM
This is a good follow-up to your post one week ago. I respect you for your thoughtful consideration and decisions. If I could, I would do the same as you do and raise cattle and other such animals for personal use. But, on a lot that's measured in feet instead of acres, that's not possible. :)
I, too, am impressed with Temple Grandin's life and work. She gave a fascinating interview not very long ago.
On the other hand, the works of Michael Pollan don't hold up to my personal research and scrutiny, sorry to say, although I understand his books are very popular.
No matter what kind of animals live at RDR, it's obvious they get the finest care and attention from you, Steve and Alayne. I can say no more than, well done, very well done!
Posted by: Moon Rani | March 04, 2011 at 12:46 PM
Yes, Marisa wrote how many of us feel--I'm not a vegan but a vegetarian for 20 years--we have four dogs and three cats! Steve and Alayne once again it truly is an honor to be supporters and friends of Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary.
Posted by: Shirley * James/Portland, OR | March 04, 2011 at 12:36 PM