They’d only been together for a few days, but Aggie quickly stepped in to protect the younger cow. This wasn’t a one-sided relationship: Aggie needed Paula, too. Each came to Farm Sanctuary alone, afraid, and yearning for companionship. Here, they found love, safety, and healing side by side.

Paula, the first to arrive at Sanctuary, had a rough start. The Holstein came from a dairy farm: a place where cows pay their rent in milk. However, since she couldn’t get pregnant, Paula wouldn’t have a place to stay for very long.

Dairies stay in business by selling milk. But like humans (and any other mammal), cows don’t magically produce milk on demand. Their bodies create milk while pregnant or nursing—and it’s meant to nourish their young, not other species.

They would’ve tried breeding Paula at just 11 to 13 months of age. Their goal would be for her to get pregnant by 15 months old and have her first calf at age two. When cows like Paula can’t conceive, though, they’re often slaughtered for meat. It’s a dairy’s way of profiting from cows who won’t deliver milk.

Around the same time, Paula experienced some trauma to her eye. Its surgical removal would relieve Paula of pain and give her a better quality of life. Still, what kind of life can a dairy cow with infertility struggles have on a working dairy farm?

Paula’s veterinarian felt sorry for the traumatized cow and appealed to the dairy to release Paula to Sanctuary. It worked.

Paula was jumpy around people at first—retreating to the back of the barn if anyone came too close. Aside from quick visits to provide extra food, treats, and soft straw bedding, we gave her some space to settle in. We don’t know how people treated Paula in the past, but she likely had good reason to remain on guard. Cows are also prey animals, and Paula’s partial blindness makes her even more vulnerable.

But they’re also herd animals: Cows find safety in numbers and form deep, lifelong bonds with their friends and family. Having other cows around might help Paula feel less afraid.

At Sanctuary, most animals join their new herds or flocks after finishing a routine quarantine period. This prevents the potential spread of disease throughout a previously healthy group. When possible, however, it’s nice to have them quarantine together with any other new arrivals. That way, we can assess the animals’ physical health while supporting their emotional and social wellbeing.

And for Paula, a new friend’s arrival was just around the corner.

Aggie, a shy but gentle Jersey cow, is just two years older than Paula. Her guardian kept Aggie and another cow as companion animals until her passing late last year. Then, her widower took on their care.

But within a few months of losing their guardian, Aggie’s best cow friend passed away too. Aggie was devastated. Cows grieve their loved ones—they bellow, pace, and even stand guard over their bodies. Aggie’s caretaker worried that she’d be too depressed on her own—or that she might even hop a fence in search of companionship.

He thought about selling her since he could no longer manage her care—but he preferred that she find Sanctuary.

She also found strength, love, and healing from Paula.

In the meantime, Paula was slowly starting to trust. She sniffed and licked our hands in exchange for treats and groomed the snout of a pig through their adjoining barn space. But once she met Aggie, Paula brightened even more—and Aggie, for her part, found peace and purpose looking after her new friend.

They began spending lots of time grooming one another—a cow’s way of showing love and care for her companions. They grazed and explored their new pasture space together. Later, when we introduced them to a larger herd, they went in confidently and started making new friends. They already felt safe, because they had each other.

The girls still spend much of their time together. While they’re shy around people, they’re at ease among their new cattle family. Paula, in particular, is a social butterfly who gravitates to other Holsteins like Orlando and Ted. But they both enjoy bonding with anyone who’s game—from munching through our grassy pastures side by side to grooming and snugging in the barn.

Their friendship gives them that security to venture on their own—and to know that love is waiting when they return