On 3rd April 2023, Sleepy Pig Farm Sanctuary posted on their Instagram the first of a series of posts describing the dramatic rescue of a lamb and his mother at an auction just before being sent to a slaughterhouse. They wrote: “Mama and her son are SAFE! This has been the longest and most emotionally draining day but it is all so worth it for these beauties to be safe together, forever. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, mama and baby need medical care asap so I promise to keep you all posted! This family went from almost being sent to slaughter to now living the best life they ever could imagine.”

On 4th April 2023, the staff at the sanctuary reflected on their experience at the auction where they saved lives. They wrote: “It always takes me a few days after going to the auction to save lives to truly feel myself again. You lose a lot of faith in humanity bearing witness at places like that.” However, they also mentioned that the messages and responses from the public make it all worth it. They received messages from people saying that they will never eat lamb or animals again. The staff also provided an update on the mother and son’s health: “Mama finally has a normal temp, but we are still keeping a close eye on her and baby’s eye seems to be slowly improving with antibiotics. They are not out of the woods yet, but we will continue careful monitoring in our medical stalls so please continue sending them love!!!

On 6th April 2023, the mother and son were introduced as Cora and Cliff. They are now safe and able to live their lives together at the sanctuary. Sleepy Pig Farm is a non-profit animal sanctuary located in Granville, New York. Their mission is to rescue and protect farmed animals, educate and inspire people to connect with farmed animals to end their exploitation and advocate for veganism. Their vision is a world where humans show respect and compassion for all beings and the planet.

“Originally from Catalonia, but resident in the UK for several decades, Jordi is a vegan zoologist and author, who has been involved in different aspects of animal protection for many years. In addition to scientific research, he has worked mostly as an undercover investigator, animal welfare consultant, and animal protection campaigner. He has been an ethical vegan since 2002, and in 2020 he secured the legal protection of all ethical vegans in Great Britain from discrimination in a landmark employment tribunal case that was discussed all over the world. He is also the author of the book, ‘Ethical Vegan: a personal and political journey to change the world’.