Father-Daughter Team Drives 600 Miles to Save Two Calves

When filmmaker Joanna Zelman heard about two baby cows needing rescue, she did something most of us only wish we could do. She grabbed her father and drove 600 miles to save their lives.

Male calves born in the dairy industry face grim odds. Since only female cows produce milk after giving birth, males are typically raised for veal or beef, or euthanized within their first week of life.

But two farmers made a different choice. They agreed to let Mickey and Moose escape that fate and live out their days at Rosie's Farm Sanctuary in Potomac, Maryland.

Zelman and her father outfitted their car with tarps and hay for the journey. What happened next surprised them both.

"I didn't think I was gonna have such an attachment," her father admitted when he met Mickey, a black-and-white spotted calf, for the first time. The self-professed burger lover found himself tearing up as he held the tiny animal.

They picked up Moose, a brown-and-white calf, at their second stop. When a health scare arose during the drive, Zelman's father (a retired doctor) grew concerned, but watching the two calves snuggle and comfort each other in the backseat calmed everyone down.

After arriving at Rosie's Farm Sanctuary, Mickey and Moose were quarantined in the barn for a month as a precaution. Then they got to experience something most dairy calves never do: freedom.

"Once they were free, their personalities started to really come out," Zelman said. Her short documentary "Cow Trip" captured the entire journey and recently debuted on The Dodo's YouTube channel.

Sunny's Take

Today, four years after their rescue, Mickey and Moose are practically inseparable. The sanctuary describes Mickey as a "lovable goofball, always thinking about his next snack," while Moose is "a gentle free spirit, often gazing out across the pasture as if he's quietly composing poems in the sunshine."

Zelman had hoped to reunite Mickey with his mother, known as "Twenty-Two," but she was sadly put down due to an injury. The documentary is dedicated in her memory.

"Four years ago, they were two rescued calves on a road trip toward hope," the sanctuary wrote. "Now they are giant, joyful boys living the kind of life they were never supposed to have."