VOA常速英语:新泽西一动物收养所给了被抛弃动物们一个新家

From a farm, Skylands looks like an ordinary farm,
yet the animals that live here aren’t destined for the slaughterhouse.
They’re living their best life thanks to Mike Stura.
I was a truck driver and a truck mechanic.
Now I’m slimy.
Some five years ago, Stura couldn’t imagine he would own all this land and have cows and sheep run to greet him.
Emily, Spencer, come on, Aldama."

Today, 250 animals live here, but it all began with a calf named Jimmy.
Its former owner put Jimmy in a shop window surrounded by pumpkins as a way to attract customers.
In a few days, left with no food or water, Jimmy was close to dying and would have passed away had Stura not taken the animal to a vet far from where he lived.
He looked terrible and I would drive four hours each way.
And I would sit there with him and he would put his head on my lap,
and I would read him books, and then I would drive home depressed every time."
Jimmy got better, but Stura could no longer rest knowing there are more abandoned and mistreated animals just like Jimmy.
Soon he was bombarded with messages about other animals needing help.
There’s no formula for what I take them.
I just have this feeling, like a lot of times.
I’ll just have a feeling that no one else is going to take them.
The cow named red came here from Florida.
Mike saved her after hurricane Florence hit the state.
2:15 am, little baby right here.
Each animal here has a story.
The cow Briana jumped from a truck going full speed.
After Stura took her to Skylands, he had a vet examine the animal.
The doctor examined her and he said to me, there is a huge baby in there.
You’re gonna have a baby in a week or two.
She’s only eight months old and she’s very healthy.
And they are always right with each other all day, every day.
Stura doesn’t keep cows to produce milk or calves.
He keeps them because they deserve a second chance.
But despite help from volunteers, he has to work hard.
Feeding the cow costs $750 a day. Medical expenses are higher.
No cow thinks hey I was born for someone to eat.
They don’t think that.
That’s purely a human, you know, a concept that we some are pets,
and some are friends, and some are family members, and some are for food.
Stura believes animals just like us, are born to live a happy life.
So that’s what he’s giving them.