As someone who has grown up around animals and lived with them all her life, I find it disheartening that instead of realizing the value of the cow’s life that was lost, Misty Meadow Farms is concerned only with how much money they lost (“Vandals set hundreds of cows loose at Maine dairy farm and 1 dies, police say,” Dec. 6).

I am not ignorant of the fact that cows on dairy farms will one day start producing less milk at 4 to 5 years of age and will eventually be slaughtered. However, it should be noted that these cows are just as full of life as cats, dogs and people. They can be shy, outgoing, friendly or sneaky.

Officer Karl Roy told the reporter that the value of the cow is estimated at $2,000 to $2,500. However, there should not be any value placed on this cow’s life. The cow valued her life and did not want to die.

When this cow was released from her prison – the overcrowded feedlot – she was likely overjoyed. As for the other 150 cows, they will mourn her death, as cows can recognize more than 100 members of their herd and social relationships are very important to them.

I would like to reiterate that the real outrage in this situation should come not from how much money the cow could have been exploited for, but instead should come from how cows on dairy farms like this one are exploited – and how the owners are solely concerned with their profits, not the lives that are in their care.

Bianca Giron

Auburn

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