For the first time in Colombia and Latin America, an important dairy farm that until now was producing more than 300 liters of milk a day and selling its produced milk to the largest dairy company in the country will become an animal sanctuary.

Natalia Gutiérrez Rivera, the dairy farmer who owns this farm, decided to work hand in hand with the Namigni Animal Sanctuary to find an economically viable way to end the dairy activity on her farm. This project aims to raise COP $ 95,000,000 (around USD $26,000) to retire the 29 dairy cows on the farm and other animals, make the farm available to become an animal sanctuary, and help Natalia to change economic activity on the farm itself, creating income-producing activities that are eco-friendly and 100% animal-friendly, thus replacing in a sustainable way the animal farming economic activity that until now and for many years she developed.

Since December 15, 2020, when we began to develop this collaboration, the dairy farm surrendered two older cows to the Namigni Animal Sanctuary, Chloé and Luanda, who were immediately retired instead of ending up in a slaughterhouse, as is always the case with older dairy cows discarded by dairy farms.

At the same time, all the calves born on the dairy farm since then have been surrendered to the sanctuary, instead of the tragic fate that calves discarded by the dairy industry always await: the slaughterhouse. Natalia also surrendered to the Sanctuary a donkey, Lupita, and an older dairy goat, Casilda. With that transition, it was also decided that the Namigni Animal Sanctuary would move to the farm, to start operating from some of the spaces and to start planning the ecotourism projects and other sustainable and vegan activities on the farm to replace the income generated by the dairy activity.

As part of this agreement, we now reach a decisive moment: effective June 17, this cattle farm completely ends its dairy activity. The 29 dairy cows and the 3 7-month-old male calves from the farm are integrated into the sanctuary herd, which has already occupied the entire farm, but we need to collect the COP $95,000,000 that must be delivered to Natalia so that she can formally deliver these 32 animals to the Namigni Animal Sanctuary and build, with our support, alternative income-generating activities that respect animals and prove that change is possible and that it can indeed bring even more success than dairy farming.

As realistic and pragmatic animal rights advocates and vegans, and as direct witnesses to the horrors of the dairy industry (we are located in La Calera, Cundinamarca, a municipality where dairy production is extremely important, economically), we know that a transformation like this has a value that can't be overstated.

People who live off animal exploitation do so because that is their economic activity and because it can generate significant income. To say that what they do is unfair and horrible is true, but it does not change anything for the cows affected by dairy farming. However, if they take the initiative to change their activity and seek collaboration, as Natalia did, they give their animals and the animal community the opportunity to build historical change — which can also become a powerful example that other people who rely on animal exploitation to make a living may want to follow, transitioning to ethically acceptable and sustainable economic activities. In the end, with support and understanding, change that could not otherwise occur becomes possible and transformative. But that can only be done with your help!

Up until now, even before this transition, the Namigni Animal Sanctuary has been a happy and safe home for 200 animals of many species, namely for almost 60 cows, bulls, and calves rescued from the dairy and meat industry.

Through a personal effort as the sanctuary founders, and with the help of friends and donors, every day we offer chickens, dogs, sheep, rabbits, cats, bulls, pigs, and other animals a life of love, care, and respect. In other words, everything they deserve. We are personally very committed to continuing to provide other animals with the natural and safe home they need when they are at risk. We are now absolutely convinced that we must meet this challenge and help these 29 cows and 3 calves to be free, as well as their babies (many of these cows are pregnant), but we cannot do it without you.