Ellie Laks, the founder of “The Gentle Barn,” was in California when she saw that 6 bulls had escaped a slaughterhouse and were running through the streets of Saint Louis. Naturally, the poor animals were scared.
They had nowhere to go and no one to help them. But the bulls were desperate to live. So one of the bulls, Chico, behaved like the leader of these bulls. He kept the authorities behind a tree.
It was obvious that they were trying to keep each other alive and safe. But, in the end, the bulls were rounded up and sent back to the slaughterhouse. Ellie could not bear to see this news on television.
The compassionate woman could not sleep or eat. She wanted to change the outcome desperately. Some community people even raised freedom money to convince the slaughterhouse owner to release them to a sanctuary.
The owner told them that he would wait for 4 days. So, Ellie and her husband jumped on a red-eye flight and got there in time to rescue them. But, when the rescuers met the bulls for the first time, they were terrified of them.
The couple decided to help the animals and wanted others to know about it to share the story of these brave animals with the world. So, Ellie founded The Gentle Barn for Chico and his brothers in Saint Louis, Missouri. The bulls were scared of Ellie at first, but with time, they understood that there were some people who they could still trust. This was the beginning of their healing.
The bulls have now recovered and become “cow hug therapists” who make people smile. These animals work with people with special needs and people suffering from violence and trauma of their own. The forgiveness of these animals is incredible, and their capacity to love is remarkable. Ellie was glad she could do something good and had rescued many more animals who now live at the sanctuary.
