Critter Hills

Bhumi

Bhumi, meaning “Earth” in Sanskrit, joined us with her friend Priya at around 2 years old. A neighbor of a small Florida farm connected with the two girls over the fence, often bringing them treats. The neighbor eventually started chatting with the landowner, who stated that the girls were to be slaughtered. Hearing this, the neighbor continued talking to the farm’s owner and eventually obtained permission to seek an alternative, permanent placement for them.

Bhumi has been confident from the start, loading onto the trailer and settling into sanctuary life relatively easily. Her friend Priya took several days to get to the sanctuary due to her fear of loading onto the trailer. Once she was reunited with her friend, Priya would often look to Bhumi before approaching new situations. Bhumi quickly demonstrated to Priya that the Critter Creek Team could be trusted, as we would bring them supplemental feed while they are held in the vet area before being cleared to be integrated into an established herd. She would wait happily by her feed bucket, and her presence gave Priya the confidence to learn their new routine. She is very alert, but strong, and will approach new people with sniffs.

Esmé

Esmè is an inquisitive, blind cow who survived her difficult start to life.

EPIC Outreach, based in Jacksonville, FL, reached out to Critter Creek when they were contacted by the farmer who owned the facility where baby Esmé was born. Esmé, often called “Baby Girl” by the farmer’s family, realized she was sick and noticed her Mother, likely due to her baby’s condition, was not nursing the sick calf.

The farmer took Esmè in to bottle feed her and administer antibiotics, but quickly realized that the little one had minimal eyesight in both eyes. It is believed that she lost her eyesight due to a perinatal infection that left extensive scar tissue on both of her eyes. In cases like these, where a calf is sick or has a lifelong disability, due to usually requiring more individualized and expensive care, they are often “culled.”
As she was bottle-fed, Esmé learned to explore her world without the ability to see, and through closely caring for her, the farmers became attached and wanted to secure her a safe, forever home. EPIC Outreach helped connect the farmer to Critter Creek, where we agreed to give Esmé the forever home she deserves.

Animals with disabilities can go on to have comfortable and fulfilling lives, but may need extra assistance to ensure their needs are being met. Your sponsorship will contribute to Esmè’s lifelong care, including important health monitoring and enriching activities to make sure she is as happy and healthy as possible!

Jasper & Oleander

Jasper on the left (Father) and Oleander on the right (Son) have had to survive different circumstances not once, not twice, but three times. These two were initially picked up from a stockyard in New Jersey in 2019. As they were being weighed for slaughter, the sanctuary owner of ‘Twist of Fate Animal Sanctuary’ brought them home, and eventually reunited them with another Zebu named Lilac, who was believed to be Oleander’s Mother.

In 2022, other sanctuaries near the ‘Twist of Fate’ property began feeling concerned when the owner began refusing them access to the grounds. Eventually, Caitlin, founder of Rancho Relaxo Sanctuary, intervened upon driving by and witnessing a horse wearing a blanket in the heat of July. Caitlin and others walked into a horrible scene of filth, surrounded by dying and already deceased animals. The pigs on the property had been forced to resort to chewing on the bones of the sheep they had been housed with that had succumbed to starvation to survive themselves. Horses with horribly overgrown feet had difficulty walking due to the pain and discomfort.

Jasper, Oleander, and Lilac had luckily been tucked away in a pasture that had enough foliage for them to eat and avoid the starvation that so many of their companions in other areas of the property were facing. The trio was adopted by a private adopter. In 2024, Lilac unfortunately passed away from cancer.

In January 2026, Critter Creek was contacted by Caitlin with Rancho Relaxo, who had been contacted by the private adopter who stated they could no longer care for the boys, and they were now at risk of death, again, if they could not find a new home. Caitlin agreed to temporarily foster the pair, but having her own sanctuary already with many residents, she was unable to commit to the lifetime of care they deserved. Critter Creek happily accepted them, and thanks to coordination with Steph at Last Chance Ranch, Jasper and Oleander were driven from New Jersey to Florida by Ashley with Hauling Hopes Animal Transportation Services in early February 2026.

Upon arrival, the boys’ personalities were apparent. Oleander, the white Zebu, is more confident and curious. His Father, Jasper, seems to feel safest behind his son and prefers to observe new situations from a distance. After a brief quarantine, the pair was smoothly integrated into their new herd, where they received fresh food and water daily. They have access to a large field with a pond and many friends!

Priya & Sundarah

Priya, meaning “beloved friend” in Sanskrit, joined us with her friend Bhumi at around 2 years old. A neighbor of a small Florida farm connected with the two girls over the fence, often bringing them treats. The neighbor eventually started chatting with the landowner, who stated that the girls were to be slaughtered. Hearing this, the neighbor continued talking to the farm’s owner and eventually obtained permission to seek an alternative, permanent placement for them.

​While Bhumi easily loaded onto the trailer, Priya was a lot more anxious and took several attempts to eventually bring her to the sanctuary. Upon arrival, we became concerned as Priya visually appeared pregnant. Even though we were assured multiple times that the duo had had zero exposure to any bulls, after we received them, we learned they were kept on the property with several Zebus, a small breed of bovine. One of these pasturemates is the presumed father of Priya’s baby.

All new residents who come to the sanctuary are vetted and quarantined before they are able to meet the existing residents, and our vet quickly confirmed with a sonogram that Priya was indeed pregnant. Not only was she pregnant, but she was close to delivering. While baby calves are adorable, this news was initially stressful, as this baby means we have possibly 30 years of care to provide that we did not initially anticipate. Even though this surprise was not initially enthusiastically celebrated, her pregnancy being hidden likely helped save her life. Had the farmer been aware of Baby Moo’s impending arrival, they may not have been willing to part with Priya, as baby calves are often considered profitable “products.” While we cannot change the world just yet (we’re working on it!), we will be able to change Priya and her baby’s world, as they will not have to go through the traumatic separation and exploitation millions of cows just like them go through daily.
One February morning, Chris walked out to feed the girls their breakfast and discovered “Baby Moo” (name to be determined upon the conclusion of the name raffle on 2/17/26) had made his arrival overnight. Priya is overall in good condition postpartum, but has had to receive antibiotics due to not immediately passing her placenta to avoid infection.

Priya has been incredibly brave so far, overcoming her anxiety with the support of Bhumi, who is her confidante. She has been an incredibly attentive and patient mother. Baby Moo loves his mama and his Aunt Bhumi. He has shown interest in his caretakers, as well as the other critters who call Critter Creek home. We are thrilled to provide this family unit with their forever home.

Bentley

Bentley was born on a local cattle ranch with dummy calf syndrome, and he wouldn’t nurse on his mom or a bottle. This meant he was too labor-intensive to be profitable for the farm.

Thankfully, they surrendered him to us.

Bentley was the cutest critter any of us had ever seen. Plus, he was SWEET. He loved hugs and loved any other animal he met. But he was… slow. And we couldn’t get the boy to eat, no matter what we did, no bottle, no grain, no treats, nothing. We had to tube feed him, where the milk goes right into his esophagus.

We thought he possibly needed a mentor to teach him how to cow properly. So, we introduced him to Stanley, another mooperson who is a little slow. Their connection was immediate, and the more they interacted, the more Bentley started to cow. One day after his Stanley playtime, he ate some Spanish moss all on his own. Shortly thereafter, he ate a banana. Finally, he started eating grain mixed with banana. At this point, we thought he might actually be OK.

Cojo

One morning, a kind neighbor who lived next to a Florida beef farm noticed a young bull lying next to his deceased Mother in a field. The Mother cow had passed away about 24 hours after giving birth to him, and he was lying motionless next to her body. After speaking to the owner of the beef farm, the neighbor was granted permission to bring the newborn bull home with him, whom the neighbor named Cojo. Cojo’s surrogate Mom, neighbor Jim, fed and cared for Cojo around the clock, even allowing the baby cow to sleep inside his home. Through the 7 months of caring for baby Cojo, his human fell in love with his inquisitive, playful nature.

Although neighbor Jim wanted to keep Cojo, his property was not fit for an eventual 1,000+ pound cow to reside. Knowing his fate would likely be slaughter at most farms in the area, Jim made it his mission to find Cojo a safe, forever home, which is when he found Critter Creek. Critter Creek agreed to welcome Cojo, and he arrived at around 8 months old.

After being quarantined, Cojo was released to join one of the sanctuary’s herds, affectionately nicknamed “The Preschool.”  Jim had the honor of walking him out to his new herd. Although Cojo was the smallest addition to the herd, he integrated himself in no time, immediately playfully headbutting his new friends and prancing around, even taking joy in chasing some of the larger cows who did not know what to make of the new, small cow in their pasture. Cojo is now well-adjusted in his herd and will be loved and taken care of for the rest of his life!

Alvin

We first became aware of Alvin after the sanctuary he resided at, unfortunately, had to close. He had initially joined them after being rescued from a South Carolina dairy farm, where he was viewed as a “by-product” as a male calf, who had to be born for his mother to produce milk.

We helped Alvin find a home with a wonderful woman outside of Gainesville, but though his golden retriever demeanor is extremely endearing, it wasn’t the right fit for his new elderly caretaker.
The Critter Crew loves a rambunctious cow and welcomes Alvin with open arms! He is now a part of the Ravine Herd at Critter Hills, where he has taken a liking to a group of quieter cows.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an American Bison that was bred into the 4H program, where she was raised to be shown and then slaughtered. Thankfully, she was saved from that fate by William “Willy” Olund. Willy and Cinnamon bonded tightly. He was a Vietnam veteran, and Cinnamon helped him cope with PTSD.

Willy tragically passed away, and his daughter, Stacey, was determined to find the perfect place for his beloved bison. It took some time, but eventually, Hailey from Two Girls One Truck Animal Transport contacted us, and we were happy to welcome Cinnamon to CCFS.

Cinnamon was so important to Willy, and, by extension, Stacey, that she and her friend Kelly came all the way from California and Michigan (respectively) to see Cinnamon in her new home. We know we can’t replace Cinnamon’s beloved human, but we hope we can make her feel happy and safe.

Elder & Wally & Artie

Wally and Elder came to us in January 2023 from Northern California, where they were rescued from the dairy industry. The famous “Italian Buffalo Mozzarella” is sourced from water buffalo. Very similar to the cow milk industry, buffalo babies are stripped from their mothers and sold or slaughtered so humans can have the mothers’ milk for cheese. Thankfully, Wally and Elder were rescued by Kira at Genevieve’s Gentle Hearts Rescue, and are now living their best lives here with us at Critter Hills.

Artie was rescued in August 2023 from the same dairy farm as Wally and Elder. Artie’s mother died a horrific death during childbirth due to being overbred, especially at such a young age. This left Artie orphaned, and the dairy didn’t “have time” to bottle-feed or take care of him, so they called Kira to see if she could take him. Upon her arrival, Kira discovered that none of the animals had shade in temperatures over 100 degrees. Artie was dehydrated, lethargic, and suffering from heat exhaustion. Things didn’t look good at first. He refused to drink milk or water, and his lab values were terrible. Thankfully, this little guy fought with all his might and made a full recovery. He has joined Wally and Elder at Critter Hills and is thriving. The three of them are quite the trio and enjoy spending time with their herd mates in the pond.

Cosmo & In Memoriam of Astro

Mama Astro’s story is one of heartbreak, resilience, and deep maternal love. Originally shipped from Pennsylvania to be a pet, she eventually ended up at a Florida dairy farm. Like all cows in the dairy industry, she was forcibly impregnated year after year to keep producing milk. Once her production declined, she was marked for slaughter, just as so many others are, along with their male calves, while their daughters are forced into the same cruel cycle. Mama Astro was selected for slaughter, but the night before, she gave birth to a calf later named Cosmo. Cows are often killed while pregnant because their heavier weight brings more profit, but a compassionate dairy worker stepped in. She brought Cosmo into her home to bottle-feed him and made arrangements to keep Mama safe until they could find a place to be together.

Sadly, both Astro and Cosmo tested positive for Johne’s disease. Mama has an active infection, though she is still comfortable for now. We feared this outcome, as nearly 100% of dairy farms, regardless of size, harbor Johne’s, according to the USDA. The bacterium that causes it, MAP, is shed in milk and colostrum and isn’t eliminated by pasteurization or chlorination. Studies suggest a troubling link between MAP and Crohn’s disease in humans. In cows, it causes devastating intestinal damage, leading to progressive weight loss, chronic diarrhea, and ultimately death.

Unfortunately, we lost Astro to her battle with Johne’s Disease in February 2026. Cosmo is in a pasture with two friends: Melvin and Faline. Both have assumed the role of caretaker. Cosmo, Melvin, and Faline are living out their sanctuary days with the ability to sunbathe, enjoy plenty of hay, and receive their personal meals twice a day.

Melvin

For over a decade, Mel lived at a small, family-owned farm. He was used as a stud bull so the farmers had a steady supply of babies to sell to the slaughterhouse.

But then, Mel began losing weight. As he grew weaker, he could no longer impregnate the herd’s females, which meant he was no longer of any use to the farmers. Farmed animals like Mel, who are no longer “useful” and who are possibly ill, generally have a grim fate.

Fortunately for Mel, a concerned neighbor, alarmed by Mel’s condition, reached out to Critter Creek. When we saw him, we knew we had to help him. Had we been unable to intervene, Mel would no longer be alive.

Bluey

Bluey was raised on a “small family farm” with her brother. These farms are often advertised as more “humane,” but Bluey’s brother met the same fate as factory-farmed pigs; he was killed to be eaten. Bluey quickly became depressed after the separation from her brother, and was now alone with no other pigs to keep her company. As highly social animals, this sudden solitude was traumatic and unnatural. An employee on the farm, Sarah, noted the drastic shift in Bluey’s usual energetic behavior. Bluey lay lethargically in her pen, showing little interest in food and the world around her. Sarah began dedicating more time to Bluey, sitting in her pen and brushing her while speaking sweetly to her. 
With time, Bluey regained her outgoing personality, and Sarah grew more and more attached. The owner of the farm informed Sarah that Bluey was soon going to be scheduled for “processing” – being killed. Sarah made a case against killing her friend and told the farmer she would pay to continue feeding Bluey until she could find a long-term, safe home for her. The farmer agreed, and Sarah found Critter Creek.

Dexter

Dexter was born at the worst possible place for a pig, a factory farm. His introduction to the world was unfathomably terrifying, being in near-complete darkness, unable to reach his gestation crate-confined mother, surrounded by the sounds and smells of terrified and suffering pigs. At two weeks old, he was taken from his mother, loaded onto a crowded transport truck, destined for the factory farm “nursery.”
Brave little Dexter decided to take his fate into his own hooves and jumped off the truck as it headed down the road. Bruised but otherwise unharmed, he was found by a kind passerby and delivered to a sanctuary. Now, Dexter will live out the rest of his days in pig paradise at Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary.

JJ

JJ (short for Johnny Jumper) made a run for his life. He was being sent to slaughter, terrified, when in a moment of courage and instinct, he jumped off a speeding transport truck on Interstate 10 in Florida. He landed hard on the pavement, suffering painful road rash, but that leap changed everything.
Florida police stepped in to help. Thanks to their quick action, JJ was brought to safety and now lives peacefully at Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary. He’s made a full recovery and spends his days lounging in the sun, soaking up belly rubs, and sharing snacks and snuggles with his best friend Dexter. JJ is one of the gentlest, most grateful souls we have ever met, truly a picture of peace.

Cameron

Cameron’s Mother, Gladys, was rescued by the South Florida SPCA from a massive cruelty case in the summer of 2019. The man had over 200 animals on 1.5 acres of dirt. Most of the animals were sick, and many were dying from starvation and infectious diseases.

In August of 2019, Gladys, her best friend Periwinkle, and Periwinkle’s daughter Petunia were brought to Critter Creek, along with the five cows who were rescued from the same case. As often happens with hoarding cases, the animals breed out of control. So, it was unsurprising that Periwinkle and Gladys arrived pregnant. Six months later, Gladys gave birth to Cameron, and the two have been inseparable ever since.
In 2024, we were able to introduce Cameron to Elvis, his older brother, whom he had never gotten to meet! Elvis had been rescued from the same hoarding case and adopted by a private adopter in 2019, but by late 2024, the adopter could no longer care for him. We were asked if we would be willing to take him, and we enthusiastically said yes. Now their family of 3 lives happily together and won’t ever be separated again.

Watching the dynamic of the 3 together is always a hoot. Cameron and his brother, Elvis, could not be more opposite. Cameron has more of a fluffy exterior, which matches is teddy-bear like personality. Elvis, on the other hand, is usually sleeker and has a bit of a mischievous streak, but they love each other just the same! One thing they do have in common is their love for their mother, Gladys. They both get anxious if ever separated, even for routine things like farrier day, so we make sure they always have access to one another!

Gladys

Gladys was rescued by the South Florida SPCA from a massive cruelty case in the summer of 2019. The man had over 200 animals on 1.5 acres of dirt. Most of the animals were sick, and many were dying from starvation and infectious diseases.

In August of 2019, Gladys, her best friend Periwinkle, and Periwinkle’s daughter Petunia were brought to Critter Creek, along with the five cows who were rescued from the same case. As often happens with hoarding cases, the animals breed out of control. So, it was unsurprising that Periwinkle and Gladys arrived pregnant. Six months later, Gladys gave birth to her son Cameron, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Last year, we were able to reunite Gladys with her older son, Elvis, who had been rescued from the same hoarding case. Elvis had been adopted by a private adopter in 2019, but by late 2024, the adopter could no longer care for him. We were asked if we would be willing to take him, and we enthusiastically said yes. Now Gladys lives with her two boys, and the family won’t ever be separated again.

Epona & Koda

Epona was owned by a farm that breeds and sells horses for profit. In fact, the farm named her son “Cash”, a reflection of what he represented to them. They were both heartlessly dumped in a kill pen when he failed to sell. Epona was deemed “unhandled,” which sealed her fate. She was to be shipped to Mexico to be slaughtered. Her son, whom we named Koda, would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Fortunately, some tireless warriors for animals intervened, in particular, Retta with Diamond Bar Ranch Equine Rescue and Sanctuary. She begged the kill pen for some time to find homes for Epona, Koda, and several other mares and their babies. With your support, we were able to provide one of those homes!
Epona and Koda were quarantined in Oklahoma for a few months, and there were a couple of hiccups. Both developed strangles, a bacterial infection similar to strep throat. Then, Koda had to have a minor surgery for an old injury. Once they were cleared for travel, they made their way to CCFS.

Epona is shy, but she’s coming around. Koda is friendly and fairly certain that whatever you’re doing should involve him. They will live together here for the rest of their lives, in peace, love, and carrots.