When you sponsor an animal for a year you make a HUGE difference in their life. With your donation you will be helping Francis with all of his care, from routine vet visits to daily feedings.

With your yearly sponsorship (payments recurring monthly) you will receive quarterly updates and pictures of your resident in your email,
your name on the IFS website, plus a spot on our exclusive sponsorship slideshow, viewable in the IFS store. Also, receive a free pass for all Open Barn Days!
Come out and meet the animals you’ve sponsored—so they can thank you themselves! This is the gift that keeps on giving, for you and for Francis .

For your convenience, this sponsorship will automatically renew each year until you choose to discontinue sponsor support.

Francis was born in the dairy industry. While it may be hard to believe, this precious boy was originally destined to be slaughtered by just 18 weeks of age because he had the misfortune of being born male. In the dairy industry, male calves are considered useless because they cannot produce milk. To make a profit off of male calves, they are generally sold as veal – a heartbreaking truth that the dairy industry does not want consumers to know or consider too deeply.

Because Francis was injured and underweight, our good friend, Jason Bolalek (Destination Liberation), was able to negotiate his liberation. In an amazing turn of events, Jason was also able to arrange the liberation of a second calf, Floyd, from a neighboring dairy farm. In early June 2020, Jason drove the boys all the way from the east coast to IFS in a rented hatchback. Bonded by their emotional journey to freedom, Francis and Floyd were brothers from the moment they met.

We originally feared that Francis’ leg injury was badly infected, and we were incredibly relieved to learn that it looked worse than it actually was. After just a few days of cautiousness, Francis’ spunky, playful, and bubbly personality began to shine through. Much more outwardly curious and assertive than his brother, we know that Francis is going to give us a run for our money as he grows! We absolutely love how confident Francis is. From a tiny, injured baby scheduled to be “discarded” due to his injury and low weight, to a fearless, fun-loving young man – Francis blows us away with his resiliency.

It is impossible to consume dairy products without supporting the veal industry. For Francis, Floyd, and all male calves born into the dairy industry – please consider the true cost of dairy and choose plant-based alternatives.

NOTE: For sponsorships, please allow up to 3 business days for your sponsorship package to be created with care and delivered to the recipient's email address.