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Herbie the Hereford (center) with rescurers Doug Abel and Jenny Brown at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

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From slaughterhouse to vegan cake — all in four short months.

The wayward calf who had authorities in hot pursuit down Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge has officially given up city life and is busy preparing for a “baby shower” with his new permanent owners.

The calf was transferred from Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in upstate New York to an eight acre farm in Blairstown, New Jersey on Feb 3.

“It was hard to say goodbye to Herbie,” said Robin Henderson, an animal care giver at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. “But he won’t be going alone, he made a great friend, a two-week-old dairy calf named Kevina, and we are fortunate that they were adopted together.”

The 4-month-old Hereford calf was on the way to the slaughterhouse in December when he escaped into the streets of Bay Ridge, setting off a wild goose chase that briefly cowed local authorities.

The excitement began when “Herbie” saw an opportunity to bolt near a busy Sixth Avenue intersection as the owner attempted to transfer the calf into a truck for the trip to the slaughterhouse.

The commotion was short lived as authorities quickly had the animal tranquilized and in custody, but instead of handing the cow back to the owner, a Christmas miracle of sorts occurred (at least as far as the cow was concerned).

It turned out, the owner did not have the appropriate paperwork to be transporting the calf, so Herbie was confiscated by police and brought to the CACC, which turned him over to the animal sanctuary.

Today, Herbie is living large on the spacious Jersey farm and is getting ready to party, as his new owners are busy planning a baby shower this spring where friends and family will gather to give the calf presents like cow supplies and cow toys, according to Henderson.

“And there will be a cake for Herbie — his new owners are big animal lovers so, of course, it will be all vegan,” said Henderson.

To Herbie, this kind of happy ending might just feel like Hereford Heaven.

“This wonderful couple is a rare breed indeed,” said the Farm Animal Sanctuary Web site about the new owners in a page dedicated to Herbie.

“How many people do you know that have fantasized about having pet cows? Now they’ll never be exploited or mistreated for their flesh, milk, or skin.”

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper

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