Several cows cared for at the La Manada Cántabra sanctuary in Oruña de Piélagos, Cantabria, Spain, since 2022 could lose their lives when they are returned to the farmer from whom the authorities confiscated them on a judge’s order.
In March 2022, SEPRONA (Nature Protection Service) seized five cows from a cattle farm in Sharon, because according to them they were living in deplorable conditions. SEPRONA contacted the La Manada Cántabra sanctuary, which sheltered them and rehabilitated them. However, the Court of Instruction number 1 of Medio Cudeyo ruled that “there were no indications of animal abuse” and decided to file the case, which implies that the animals will be returned to the farmer.
La Manada Cántabra appealed the sentence twice, organised a collection of signatures, and filed an appeal in the Provincial Court of Cantabria to request that there be a trial in which Seprona agents, veterinarians and other witnesses who saw the state of the cows testify. The sanctuary says that the Court of Instruction only considered the version of the veterinarian of the farm and the livestock expert.
Patricia López, co-founder of La Manada Cántabra, explained in RAC1.cat that “the judicial decision is irrevocable” and that the only option left to them is for the farmer to decide to give up the cows. The sanctuary believes that the farmer is going to kill the eight cows (the five rescued and their three calves) when he receives them, because, on one hand, he says that the owner will no longer want them because they have not produced milk for a long time, and on the other hand, because the animals have “a livestock blockade” for having shown positive results in tuberculin tests. On an Instagram message from the 12th of January 2025, the sanctuary wrote, “ON WEDNESDAY 15th AT 10 AM, THE COWS WILL BE TAKEN TO BE EXECUTED… We are devastated and with lots of fury and helplessness.”
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