January 6, 2024
Moolan, a vibrant 7-year-old bovine, has been stealing hearts since she was rescued in January 2018. With her unique sideways horn and spunky personality, Moolan is a testament to resilience, curiosity, and the beauty of giving animals a second chance.
Moolan’s Story: A Rescue Rooted in Care
Moolan was born into a challenging environment. Her mother, Ellie, lived among cows that carried Johne’s disease — a condition that doesn’t affect milk quality but can harm the animals carrying it. While Ellie tested negative, there was a risk Moolan could contract the disease as a newborn in the pasture. To ensure their safety, Moolan and Ellie were allowed to be brought to a Farmaste Animal Sanctuary where they could live free from the dangers of disease and cruel dairy farming practices.
From the Underdog to the Leader of the Herd
Life in a new herd wasn’t always easy for Moolan. As the lowest in the herd hierarchy, she initially found an unlikely best friend in Starr, a sheep. The duo would roam the pastures together, forging a bond that crossed species lines. Over time, Moolan grew into her own, gaining confidence and becoming a strong leader of the herd.
Personality That Shines
Moolan is as feisty as she is loyal, with a curious streak that keeps her exploring new things. She loves grazing in the pasture with her mom, Ellie, and can often be found drinking water straight from the hose — a quirky habit that showcases her playful side.
A Unique Feature
Moolan’s physical appearance is as distinctive as her personality. After an accidental run-in with the former herd leader, Gertie, the outer layer of Moolan’s right horn was knocked off. When it grew back, the horn pointed sideways — a feature that’s rare for her breed and one of the many things that make her special.
Living Her Best Life
Today, Moolan spends her days roaming freely, enjoying the fresh air, and exploring the world around her. Her journey from a vulnerable calf to a strong herd leader embodies the power of care and compassion.
Moolan’s story reminds us of the resilience and individuality of farmed animals. Her curious, loyal, and feisty nature show clearly why we should allow animals a chance to thrive, free from the tortures of factory farms.
The work of Farmaste Animal Sanctuary
Farmaste Animal Sanctuary rescues abused, neglected, and unwanted farm animals and provides them with a safe sanctuary. Residents are respected as someone, not treated as something.
Farmaste is located in Lindstrom, MN, less than an hour north of the Twin Cities, near Stacy and North Branch. Founder and volunteer Kelly Tope tells us that farm sanctuaries like Farmaste do important work for their residents and raise awareness, but don’t have the capacity to care for even 1% of the animals slaughtered each year.
Farmaste currently serves as a home to five cows, seven goats, five sheep, five pigs and two donkeys! You can see more photos and find out more about their work and their residents on their website.
Farmaste: A caring farm animal rescue organization
This is how Farmaste describes their mission: “At Farmaste Animal Sanctuary we believe that all animals have inherent worth, and that farm animals are not an exception to that rule. We rescue abused, neglected and unwanted farm animals and bring them to our 30-acre farm in Lindstrom, MN. There they are allowed to roam in the pastures, and live out their days free from cruelty. Farmaste Animal Sanctuary also provides opportunities for people to connect with the animals and hear their stories through our scheduled tours and volunteer opportunities.”
They are a federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization fully funded through donations. Farmaste is verified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
Other featured Farmaste residents
We have featured other Farmaste residents in past blogs, including:
Kristen the goat (in memoriam)
Our partner farm sanctuaries
There are several wonderful farm sanctuaries in the area including Chicken Run Rescue, Herbivorous Acres, Spring Farm, Farmaste, and Soulspace. All of these sanctuaries do wonderful work for farmed animals. Each month, we feature one sanctuary resident from one of these rescue organizations in our blog and newsletter.
Love reading about rescue animals? Check our blog page regularly and sign up for our weekly newsletter so you don’t miss any of the endearing stories of local rescue animals.