Fanette will not go to the slaughterhouse
Fanette is a sweet mare that the kids loved. Arriving at retirement age, she had to be driven to the slaughterhouse, but One Voice saved her!
At the educational farm, Fanette * was this sweet mare that the children loved. But when she was about to retire, she was to be driven to the slaughterhouse. By the way, One Voice was able to save her!
Fanette loved walking around with Maddie, her friend a cow.
Together, at a peaceful pace, they grazed the sweet clover and alfalfa of the Ardennes hills side by side. Sometimes, too, when the barrier was left open, Fanette went off to drink at the frog pond, to watch the little amphibians leap from water lily to water lily. In the evening, she went to join her lover, a stallion who was grazing there, in a nearby meadow. Part of her day was spent with chickens, ducks and goats all grouped together in an educational farm, Fanette’s mission was to awaken children to the love of Nature. And, in fact, everyone liked her.
But hey! Our mare was getting old.
She hobbled a bit from an anterior hoof and moved with difficulty.She had once leaned against a plum tree and finally uprooted it. From then on, the educational farm chose to replace her with a brand-new filly and foal. And Fanette? Ah, Fanette, you see, she’s already 25 years old. And she takes up space, an old horse, it’s expensive to maintain! So, she was returned to her owner, who was renting her and whom, in all probability, sent her quickly to the slaughterhouse.
What did the children say when they asked about her?
“And Fanette, where is she?“. The children undoubtedly asked questions. And what answer would they have formulated without our intervention? For the cruel truth is far from love: “The old mare? Oh, nothing special: we’ll just shoot a metal rod in the middle of her big forehead which is very soft and with her fringe of hair that sweeps over her eyes. Then hang her from a hook in the ceiling and cut her up to make meat. In this world of adults know it well dear little ones, the animals are NOTHING. They are only objects, movable goods that are rented, bought and sold, exploited and killed.“
Fortunately, the sad fate of Fanette has reached the ears of One Voice.
Immediately we took this horse in charge and we placed her safely in a suitable sanctuary. Our kind mare now lives today happy, among her new friends’ donkeys and sheep, some of whom are as old as she is. Sometimes, surely, images come back to her and question her. Where did Maddie go, her cow friend? Do not worry Fanette: she will not go to the slaughterhouse either. We will get her to join you soon!
As for educational farms, let us hope that they will be more educational in the future, by giving children the value of respect for animals that they deserve.
* The given names have been changed