Songwriter Diane Warren stepped in Thursday to save the life of cow that eluded capture for more than a day after a herd escaped from a Southern California slaughterhouse and stampeded through a suburb.
The Grammy-winning artist contacted the city of Pico Rivera to arrange to have the cow sent to the Farm Sanctuary north of Los Angeles, Warren and City Manager Steve Carmona said.
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Carmona said the City Council had already authorized him to open a dialogue about the cow with the owner of the slaughterhouse when Warren stepped in. He said the transfer was dependent on a state agriculture health check.
“Cows are very smart, empathetic animals. I mean, they knew there was a door open,” Warren told The Associated Press. “This morning, I woke up and I saw there was one cow that hadn’t been caught yet — and they’re trying to catch her and getting close to her. I saw her crying out and I couldn’t unsee that.”
Warren said she has an animal sanctuary in Southern California and felt compelled to act.
“I have other cows, too. So this isn’t my first cow I’ve saved. But this feels like a special cow. Because this was that one. So it’s almost like she represents all cows wanting to be free,” said Warren, who has been a vegetarian and vegan for more than two decades.
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The cow became a celebrity as it vanished in the nation’s most populous county until it was spotted before dawn Thursday in the sprawling Whittier Narrows recreation area in South El Monte, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles.
Two wranglers lassoed the cow but it knocked down and kicked one of them during the capture covered by TV news helicopters.
The cow was among 40 that escaped from a slaughterhouse Tuesday evening in Pico Rivera and ran through a neighborhood.
“This whole thing, it’s so heartbreaking,” Warren said. “Right now, I’m calling it a good moos. A little good moos when there’s so much stuff that isn’t good news. So that was just a little bright spot.”
