Francis

Sponsored by
Daria Shahriari

Francis was born in the dairy industry. While it may be hard to believe, this precious boy was originally destined to be slaughtered by just 18 weeks of age because he had the misfortune of being born male. In the dairy industry, male calves are considered useless because they cannot produce milk. To make a profit off of male calves, they are generally sold as veal—a heartbreaking truth that the dairy industry does not want consumers to know or consider too deeply.

Because Francis was injured and underweight, our good friend, Jason Bolalek (Destination Liberation), was able to negotiate his liberation. In an amazing turn of events, Jason was also able to arrange the liberation of a second calf, Floyd, from a neighboring dairy farm. In early June 2020, Jason drove the boys all the way from the east coast to IFS in a rented hatchback. Bonded by their emotional journey to freedom, Francis and Floyd were brothers from the moment they met.

We originally feared that Francis’s leg injury was badly infected, and we were incredibly relieved to learn that it looked worse than it actually was. After just a few days of cautiousness, Francis’s spunky, playful, and bubbly personality began to shine through. Much more outwardly curious and assertive than his brother, we know that Francis is going to give us a run for our money as he grows! We absolutely love how confident Francis is. From a tiny, injured baby scheduled to be “discarded” due to his injury and low weight, to a fearless, fun-loving young man—Francis blows us away with his resiliency.

It is impossible to consume dairy products without supporting the veal industry. For Francis, Floyd, and all male calves born into the dairy industry, please consider the true cost of dairy, and choose plant-based alternatives.