UAnimals has launched a fundraiser to support the farm animals at the Zdrave Zhyttia shelter in the village of Busha, Vinnytsia region. The goal is to improve living conditions for the cows and bulls living there and to purchase hay for them.
The shelter plans to fence off a pasture to ensure the cows and bulls can graze in complete safety. They also want to expand the enclosures for bulls who have survived cruelty—this will make life easier both for the animals and for the staff. May is also the time to stock up on fresh hay, and the shelter needs 700 bales. The care fundraiser will help tackle these needs.
Currently, Zdrave Zhyttia is home to 5 cows and 5 bulls. Some were rescued from slaughter, and others suffered because of the war. At the shelter, the animals are cared for with deep respect for their natural needs—they are not milked, and certainly not slaughtered for meat.
A well-known resident of the shelter is Mura the cow (pictured above). She is now 19 years old. Mura once lived near the shelter in Vinnytsia. She was rescued from slaughter twice. The first time, a man bought her on her way to the slaughterhouse, but she continued to give birth to calves and was still used as a dairy cow. The calves, however, were sent to slaughter.
“This continued until one day, when she was pregnant again, they decided to send her to the slaughterhouse once more. That’s when we were offered the chance to buy her,” the shelter staff recount.
“There’s another incredible detail in this story,” they add. “Before we rescued her, while she was still with her former owner, Mura once broke free from her pasture and ran all the way to our gate… She grazed peacefully in our yard, as if she already knew this was her place, her salvation.”
This is Yarylo the bull — Mura’s son, born at the shelter.
This cow also bears a mythical name — her name is Sva Slava.
“She used to be the most mischievous, headstrong, and spoiled of all our animals. And then… she completely changed. She became calmer, more balanced—although she still prefers to live alone, since she has a habit of, let’s say… firmly putting all the other cows and bulls in their place,” say the caregivers.
Join the fundraiser — your support will help the cows and bulls graze safely and later enjoy their favorite treat: fresh, delicious hay.
