Salvador the cow was born on a dairy farm in Chile. While you would never be able to tell by the looks of him now, Salvador’s start in life was incredibly tragic. As a male calf born into the dairy industry, he was deemed “useless” at birth and slotted to become a veal calf, the only way he could be profitable to the farmer.

Salvador was forced into a 2×2 wooden crate and deprived of his mothers’ love and care, being fed only enough to keep him alive. This poor calf became extremely weak, listless and had all but given up on life when he was rescued by AnimalLibre. Now Salvador lives in the care of Santuario Igualdad Interespecie, a Chilean farm animal sanctuary.

Although he was very sick when he came to the sanctuary, he has since transformed into a happy, thriving little cow thanks to his caretakers.

According to the sanctuary, Salvador has regained his zest for life and is enjoying his freedom immensely. Surely, it helps that Salvador is absolutely spoiled by his caretakers – just look at him loving the snuggle session in this video!

After experiencing so much sadness and trauma in his early life, this calf is finally getting the love and respect that he’s always deserved.

To learn more about Santuario Igualdad Interespecie, check out their Facebook page.