Brighten Your Day

Cow Jumps 6ft Fence At Slaughterhouse, Evades Police For 11 Days, Wins Freedom

March 31, 2017

On February 15, 2002, a 1,050-pound cow leaped over a six-foot fence at Ken Meyers Meats, a Cincinnati slaughterhouse, and escaped.

Meet Cincinnati Freedom.

Cincinnati Freedom

After eluding traps and tranquilizer darts of SPCA officials and police officers for 11 days, the cow was finally captured.

But finding a permanent home for the cow was a source of some debate among animal rights activists. There was no way she was going back to the slaughterhouse. And the Cincinnati Zoo declined to house her, citing the possibility that she could not be safely contained (Where did they get that idea?).

A few weeks later, the ambitious cow's fate was sealed.

In March of 2002, artist Peter Max donated $180,000 worth of paintings to the SPCA for use at their next auction. In return, he took custody of the cow, whom he named "Cincinnati Freedom" to commemorate not only her dramatic pursuit of liberty, but the city into which she escaped.

Cincinnati Freedom was brought to her permanent home at Farm Sanctuary's New York Shelter on April 11, 2002, where she spent the rest of her life.

She passed away from cancer in 2008.