So much for sharing the good news about a newborn calf named Pitcher Diego. A New Hampshire farm that posted a video of the Scottish Highland calf is coming under fire from animal rights supporters who don't want the animal to be slaughtered, the AP reports. The video, posted on Facebook, has gotten nearly 13 million views and sparked a heated debate about eating meat. Many of the comments against the video are from people angry because they think the calf will be slaughtered or had been ripped away from its mother. The Concord Monitor reports Yankee Farmer's Market posted the video of Pitcher Diego, who was born during a snowstorm. The calf—tied up with a red rope—stares into the cameras as he is warmed by an off-screen hair dryer.
Some people are trying to drive down the farm's reviews using Facebook's rating system. Several also have offered to adopt the calf. "I'm not sure how you get that much negativity out of a picture of a baby cow," said Farm owner Brian Farmer. Farmer said he was taken aback by the negative reaction, given his animals roam and graze freely in pastures and are raised without antibiotics or hormones. "We are trying to give them the best life possible," Farmer said. "When you raise them that way, they are healthy and happy." He says Pitcher Diego has been returned to its mother, and its thick neck, strong body, and gentle disposition make it a good candidate for breeding—rather than a trip to the butcher. (More cows stories.)
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