Lockdown inspires Moorooduc mum to foster unwanted farm animals
Scooter, Quincy, Oscar and Violet are looking for their forever home. Can you help?
South East
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They have big brown eyes, love a cuddle and aren’t shy about licking their foster mum all over her face.
Scooter, Quincy, Oscar and Violet are the latest calves to be rescued by a national charity set up to save unwanted farm animals.
The youngsters are currently being cared for by Sarah Rollinson at her Moorooduc hobby farm.
But she’s hoping a Mornington Peninsula local with at least 1ha of land will take two or more of the calves.
“Cows really are a lot like dogs,” Ms Rollinson said of her affectionate charges.
“They rush to greet me and jostle for a scratch and a cuddle.
“Even though some of the animals I take have been neglected or in some cases treated badly, it doesn’t take long for them to start trusting you and the bond forms quickly.”
Ms Rollinson has eight calves on her property at the moment.
They are all unwanted offspring from milking cows at commercial dairies across Victoria and New South Wales.
The animals were rescued by Til The Cows Come Home and moved to foster carers where they wait for adoption.
The not-for-profit animal charity, which has been running for about two years, provides all the feed and medical support required for the calves until they find their forever home.
Til the Cows Come Home spokeswoman Phoebe Wisken said male calves were no use to a commercial dairy and were either sent to the abattoir or “knocked on the head”.
“A lot of the farmers we work with just can’t afford to keep animals that don’t generate an income for them,” Ms Wisken said.
Ms Rollinson said before moving to the property about a year ago with her husband, three teenage children and their Nan she had “no idea” how to care for farm animals.
“Now I can’t imagine my life without them,” she said.
Neither can her small but loyal group of followers on social media.
“I have heard of one man who insisted on taking his iPad to hospital with him just so he could keep up with the calves!”
Ms Rollinson likes to celebrate the animals’ milestones and share their stories to demonstrate that “every life is worth something”.
For more details on how to adopt Oscar, Violet, Scooter or Quincy visit Til The Cows Come Home.