WAN Exclusive: Three Cows Escaped From Valley Oaks Meats In Missouri Last Week, Two Were Killed By Police & The Other Was Returned To Slaughter

Tragically, three more cows died last week trying to escape slaughter. This time, the animals running for their lives were in Blue Springs, Missouri. In June, more than 40 cows escaped a slaughterhouse in Pico Rivera, California. In July, a lone bull went rouge in Long Island, New York. Sadly, this will continue to happen as long as cruel and barbaric slaughterhouses exist.

In the case of the cows that escaped a slaughterhouse in California, 39 of the 41 were captured and sent back to slaughter, and two were saved and are currently living at Farm Sanctuary in Acton, California. Thankfully, the bull in Long Island was also saved and is now living at Skylands Animal Sanctuary in New Jersey. 

What makes the most recent case especially tragic is that all three cows were killed. Two of the wary animals were shot by police officers and the other was returned to Valley Oaks Meats, only to be slaughtered within hours of his return. Heartbreaking!

WAN talked with Blue Springs Police Department’s PIO, Jennifer Brady, about the events that transpired on Wednesday, October 13th, after the department was notified that the escaped cows were headed toward residential and business districts.

Terrified, the first cow was reportedly killed after he became aggressive and charged at an officer and a Valley Oaks Meats employee while heading toward the Interstate 70 Highway. The other cow was killed after making his way to a football field at the Blue Springs High School.

As noted in a brief statement by the police department, the two cows were killed “after exhausting all options.” Really? Meanwhile, the Blue Springs Police Department and staff from Valley Oaks were able to corral and trailer the surviving cow.

WAN quickly addressed the tragic irony that the one cow who was not shot and “survived” the escape attempt, was then slaughtered just a few hours later after being returned to the meat processing facility alive.

While Brady did share that they tried to contact a couple of veterinarians for assistance, none were available to respond in a timely manner as the entire event was over within one hour. She also referred to the fact that a veterinarian was needed to dart the cows because animals have to be tranquillized in a specific place on their bodies or it will get in their system, making them unable to then be used for their meat.

When questioned if sending the cows to a sanctuary was even considered as an option in last week’s event, Brady said it was not.

“Even if it was an option, I don’t think the owners would have released the cows to a sanctuary,” Brady told WAN, further explaining that it was their livelihood. Brady continued to share that she believes that the cows that were killed by the officers were also “taken back for processing.”

There are many options for people to earn a living that do not involve the killing and subsequent eating of innocent animals. Go Plant-Based!