Crowdfunded rescue of Mootilda the cow captivates culture and entertainment

A runaway cow nicknamed Mootilda has been rescued from an Arizona slaughterhouse after a rapid, crowd-funded effort and is now living at Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Mootilda escaped the slaughterhouse last month and trotted for miles through rural Arizona before she was captured near the sanctuary, four miles from the facility where she faced slaughter. The owner of the slaughterhouse had secured a buyer who offered to pay $2,500 for the cow within 24 hours, or she would be processed like the rest. Aimee Takaha, the sanctuary’s founder, posted a plea on social media to raise the funds needed to purchase Mootilda and spare her life.

Within hours, online donors surpassed the goal, spurred by a burst of shared posts and a widely watched appeal. The effort drew attention online, with supporters describing Mootilda’s will to live as extraordinary. At one point, trolls attempted to copy Takaha’s Venmo username to siphon donations from well-meaning contributors. Despite the fevered pace of fundraising, Mootilda was recaptured and sent to a nearby meat processing facility as authorities coordinated the next steps. A day later, donors’ funds enabled Takaha to complete the purchase and bring Mootilda to the sanctuary.

Since arriving, Mootilda has been roaming a new pen with companions Adorabull, Moona Lisa and Moothias, and she has begun to regain weight after a period of emaciation. Sanctuary updates show the cow—previously skittish and slow to trust—has started to approach people and tolerate gentle interactions, including chin scratches. Takaha noted that Mootilda’s resilience has touched people far beyond the local community, turning a dramatic rescue into a symbol of animal welfare advocacy.

Takaha’s sanctuary houses about 60 other animals, ranging from chickens to alpacas, and includes a miniature zebra. It is home to several elderly rescues who were neglected or disabled, including a three-legged rabbit. “People are very vain about their animals, they want them to be perfect. But to me, they’re absolutely perfect when they’re less perfect,” Takaha said. The sanctuary’s work has drawn broader attention to crowd-funded animal welfare efforts and the kinds of community actions that can change a single animal’s life.

The story has been picked up by national outlets, with coverage noting the speed and scale of the fundraising drive and Mootilda’s ongoing recovery at the sanctuary. The persistence of supporters and the sanctuary’s vibrant Facebook community have helped ensure Mootilda’s new life is not just a temporary rescue but a continued chapter in a broader conversation about animal welfare and community response.