Joaquin Phoenix Rescues Cow And Baby Calf From California Abattoir

Feb 24, 2020 by apost team

Following a powerful speech regarding animal rights at the Oscars, Joaquin Phoenix, 45, is putting his words into action. 

The multi-award-winning actor rescued a cow and her calf from being slaughtered at the Manning Beef abattoir in California, just one day after the heart-wrenching speech he gave at the Academy Awards.  

Earlier this month, Joaquin teamed up with his fiancee Rooney Mara, both his and Mara’s mothers, Shaun Monson – the director of Earthlings –, Los Angeles Animal Save Founder Amy Jean Davis, and Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur to film a short documentary featuring a visit to Manning Beef. 

During his visit, the 45-year-old chatted with the slaughterhouse owner Anthony DiMaria, who explained that the animals at his facility are killed in a “humane” way. 

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According to DiMaria, the cows at Manning Beef are purchased from the Dairy Industry when they can no longer produce milk. When they reach the facility, DiMaria says they are slaughtered “humanely” and “within 60 seconds.”

As DiMaria explains the process to Phoenix, he uses the verb “harvest” – much to the actor’s dismay, who ‘corrects’ him and used the verb slaughter.

Despite their differences in opinions, Phoenix appeared to appreciate DiMaria and his facility’s practices. 

“I never thought I’d find friendship in a slaughterhouse, but meeting Anthony and opening my heart to his, I realize we might have more in common than we do differences. Without his act of kindness, Liberty and her baby calf, Indigo, would have met a terrible demise,” Phoenix said.

 “My hope is, as we watch baby Indigo grow up with her mom Liberty at Farm Sanctuary, that we’ll always remember that friendships can emerge in the most unexpected places; and no matter our differences, kindness, and compassion should rule everything around us.”

As Phoenix accepted his award for Best Actor att the 92nd Academy Awards, the 45-year-old gave a powerful speech about injustices in the agricultural industry as well as other social problems. 

“We’ve become very disconnected from the natural world,” Phoenix said.

 “We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and cereal.”

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