I first visited WAG's cow sanctuary in 2018 and returned to learn more about their work in Feb 2019.  Spending a week with the 60+ cows they've rescued so far, my heart broke many times. Hearing about Lily, Daisy and Esmeralda. About Amber who was tied with a rope all her life and got a serious wound on her head, infected by maggots. About the cow who got her leg axed because she was trespassing on a farm, looking for food. About the many, many cows who are separated from their newborn calves and milked as they cry for their babies. Who are finally sent to the slaughterhouse to be cut for meat, or left on the streets to perish.

But at the same time, I found hope, inspiration and love. I saw volunteers lovingly bottle-feed motherless calves who couldn't latch on to a foster mother. I saw employees tirelessly feed the cows everyday - with nutritious food like moringa laddoos, dried lentils, cabbage, bananas, watermelon, local bread and dried grass. I was amazed that within a week, I had become friends with some naughty cows and calves, and some shy ones were starting to open up to me. And I was joyful to hear the many stories of recovery. Like Govind the bull, who thought of himself as a puppy and often went into the kitchen sniffing food!



For every one cow that WAG rescues, there are hundreds of others that need our support. At their cow sanctuary, which is entirely funded by donations and partly run by volunteers, the number of cow rescues have nearly doubled in the six months between my two visits to Goa. 

• Contribute financially: Whatever you are able to donate to WAG's cow sanctuary will go a long way. They currently home 60+ rescued cows, bulls and calves. Food costs alone amount to INR 30,000 (USD 500) per month. Many cows need their wound dressing to be changed regularly, medicines are expensive and a stable shelter is needed to protect them during the rains.
• Volunteer: If you have the time and will, spend sometime volunteering with WAG. I bet the cows will love you, and you'll come to see them as friends, rather than cattle.
• Say hello: If you happen to be in Goa, drop by WAG's cow sanctuary in Siolim (opposite HDFC Bank Siolim) to meet some of the cows. 
• Follow @anindiancow on Instagram: Lily is learning to use Instagram, and you'll love to hear her stories from the sanctuary ;-) 
• Consider turning vegan: After spending a lot of time at "organic", "free range" and home farms, and now at a cow sanctuary, I just can't convince myself that there is such a thing as ethical dairy. Cows are subjected to inhumane abuse so we can get access to milk products. And isn't it strange that humans are the only animals that drink another animal's milk? Watch films like Okja and Cowspiracy, visit farms yourself and make an informed choice.

Thank you for all your support <3

Love,
Shivya