Celeste was a cow that investigators witnessed lying motionless in a pen at JBS’ Riverina Feedlot in New South Wales. A worker attempted to force her back onto her feet by pulling at her legs and head and trying to roll her upright, but she was too weak to move. She was then left behind.
For hours, she remained in the hot summer sun, struggling repeatedly to stand as her condition worsened. Other cows gathered around her, staying close and nudging her, but no one returned to provide care or assistance.
As time passed, it became clear she would not survive. When workers eventually came back, it was not to help her, but to remove her body. She was lifted by a forklift and discarded onto a pile of dead animals.
We named her Celeste. Her suffering and death are not an isolated incident; they reflect a system in which animals are treated as expendable commodities rather than living beings.
We are calling on supporters to learn more about feedlot conditions through Aussie Feedlots and, as always, to stop supporting harmful industries by keeping animals off their plate.