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73 Cows—A Story of Courage, Compassion and Conscience

by Jennie Richards · Published October 30, 2018 · Updated March 15, 2019

“To all of a sudden one day load them onto a truck, and take them to what must be an absolutely terrifying experience for them. It was soul-destroying.”

73 Cows is the story of Jay Wilde, a beef farmer who battles with his conscience knowing the fate of his cows, and knowing that they are destined for the slaughterhouse. Jay followed in his father’s footsteps and became a cattle rancher, but over the course of several years, he stopped feeling good about raising cattle for food. Feeling trapped within an industry he no longer believed in, and feeling overwhelmed with guilt, Jay knew that he must make a change and do what no other farmer from the UK has ever done before.

Watch this 15-minute inspiring story of courage, compassion and conscience.

Awards

2018 Official Selection, Raindance Film Festival
2018 Nominated Birmingham Film Festival
2018 Best Film Lifestyle, Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival
2018 Best Film, Grand Prize, Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival
Short Film of the Week

More About the Film

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Donate to Hillside Animal Sanctuary in the UK, with over 3000 rescue animals

Quotes from the Film

“I began to feel conscious of the fact that animals have feelings, I started to have feelings of unease as we raised them.”

“The saw how animals experience the world, they are not just robots that eat and sleep.”

“I could not disconnect from getting the job done, and I realized that the animals are individuals, and not units of production for food.”

“I came to the farm with the intention of changing the business to no longer take animals to the slaughterhouse.”

“You felt as if you were betraying them, because you had made friends with them, so to all of a sudden one day load them onto a truck, and take them to what must be an absolutely terrifying experience for them. It was soul-destroying.”

“It just needed to keep farming, until I could find what else to do.”

“It’s so obviously destroying him. It was painful seeing Jay trapped in this kind of life.”

“You know what you’re doing and it’s horrible.”

“It became clear we had to find a solution, and to get out of cattle farming, and keep the wildlife on the farm.”

“We installed solar panels to offset the environmental aspects of the farm.”

“Someone told me you could produce crops without using animal inputs, it felt like the future.”

“It seems so far out to say that after a lifetime of animal farming, to say you can manage without any animals at all – with only vegan agriculture.”

“We had to figure out what to do with the cows, it would be a terrible way to start vegan agriculture – by sending the remaining cows to slaughter. So that was not an option.”

“I had to reject everything I knew to that day, by getting rid of animal agriculture.”

“Accepting that we would lose the income for selling the cattle (US $75,000 or so) by not sending them to slaughter; trusting instead that there are enough people out there who are appreciating what we are doing, appreciate what we are trying to do, and are willing to help and support us.”

“It seems like it would take a long time to find homes or sanctuaries for all the cattle. So we were amazed when Hillside Animal Sanctuary called us out out of the blue and said they would take our entire group of cattle. That they can all stay together, mothers and calves, and live out the rest of their lives—we were just very, very pleased.”

“People said to us, ‘you have restored my faith in humanity.’”

“This transition has changed Jay. We are now working together on building something that is really good.”

“Everything that bothered me about beef farming in the past, all that burden and responsibility, was lifted – it was just such a relief, to know that the animals are being looked after and will have a happy life.”

“It was just so good to know that these cows would just enjoy being cows.”