Huelva man saves two cows from the slaughterhouse and keeps them as pets

José Antonio Oria Fernández, 60, has spent the past two years caring for the animals, known as Tiberia 1 and Tiberia 2, on his 14-hectare property in the western Andalucía town.

The unusual arrangement began in 2024, when Oria attended a lunch in Seville and came across two newborn calves destined for slaughter. Moved by the sight of the animals, he asked whether he could buy them and prevent them from being killed.

He subsequently took the calves to his property in Lepe, where they continue to live and roam freely.

However, keeping the animals proved more complicated than he had anticipated. Oria later received a letter informing him that regulations required anyone keeping cattle to have a livestock holding registration number, approved facilities and official ear tags.

The tags, known in Spain as 'crotales', are plastic or metal identification markers attached to cattle's ears and used to record and track information about the animal.

Determined to find a solution, Oria researched Spain's Animal Rights and Welfare Act and discovered that animals originally bred for agricultural production can be classified as companion animals provided they are no longer used for commercial purposes.

He then began the process of registering the cows under that category so that he could legally keep them as pets.

According to Oria, both animals are now microchipped. He says the main difference between his pets and more conventional companion animals is simply their size.

That also means veterinary visits work differently. Rather than transporting the cows to a clinic, the vet travels to the property whenever the animals require treatment.