In 2013, my family moved into a house in Tonganoxie, KS. There is a pasture next door, and each Spring/Summer, that pasture is occupied by a herd of cattle. As a lifelong animal lover, vegetarian, (now vegan), animal activist, I'd never really "met" a cow up close. My kids and I have had so much fun watching them, but what I never knew was that they all have their own unique personalities. The hierarchy of the herd is really interesting, and they can be quite fun to watch. Shy 38 is named after one of those cows. Her tag said "38". But like the rest, she was an individual. In 2015, Shy 38 Inc. was founded, with the mission to become a Kansas Farm Sanctuary.

Over the past several years, we've seen the cows come and go, some return year after year; others do not. Some of them are very friendly and curious, others are shy and keep their distance. We gave them names - did you know a cow can learn her name and come when called? Separated by a fence, we see the calves trying to play with our dogs. We see the cows nurse and love on their babies, and we see their babies get taken away. We hear the cows call for them day and night and search the field frantically with the same determination you or I would have if someone took our children from us.

While the cows next door are not factory-farmed animals, they will eventually suffer the same fate as those who are: the slaughterhouse, where they'll be killed years before their time, and die frightened, stressed and fighting for their lives.

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We want local youth to be able to interact with rescued farm animals through a compassionate humane education program. By allowing people to interact with the rescued animals, they can see that they are not just a number on an ear tag, but an individual capable of feeling pain, love, fear, joy and grief, much like ourselves.

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Kris Taylor

Founder