What to Know
- Animal lovers held a vigil to honor a bull who escaped a slaughterhouse in Queens this week and later died
- The elusive bovine was on the run for at least two and a half hours Tuesday before officers finally brought it into custody
- The runaway bull prompted a huge law enforcement response, with dozens of emergency vehicles and officers responding
A group of vegan activists and animal lovers wanted to make sure the bull who died after leading NYPD officers on a wild chase Tuesday in Queens was memorialized.
A vigil was held in front of Aziz Slaughterhouse, the butchery where the bull was supposed to be killed, in Jamaica Wednesday evening.
"This brave boy's life and bravery deserve to be honored, and the slaughter house and neighbor need to know that this is not ok," the event's Facebook page read. "Let's show them that his life mattered."
The vigil was arranged by three vegans to honor the "hero" bull who "fought for freedom." It appeared that a few dozen people showed up outside the slaughterhouse.
Among them was Jill Carnegie from Vegans of New York. She said she was inspired by the turnout.
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"By seeing that these people would give up their time this evening, it shows that they see that he has the will to live just like you do," Carnegie said.
The organizers invited attendees to get creative by making their own signs and bringing candles to light. "If you wished for his freedom, you already believe in veganism," one sign read.
Bobby McCullough held a sign with a drawing of a bull that read, "I fought for my life. Will you fight for me?"
"We'd like to bring attention to the disgusting industry that takes place at the slaughterhouses," McCullough said. "To bring attention to the fact that this bull has feelings like the rest of us, can love like the rest of us, and wants to live like the rest of us — and ultimately did not want to die."
The bull was seen with at least a dozen tranquilizer darts in its side over the course of the miles-long chase through Queens. He died at some point before 2:30 p.m., nearly three hours after it escaped a Beaver Road slaughterhouse and went on a free-for-all, dodging police in Jamaica and South Ozone Park before it was captured in someone's backyard.
A cause of death for the animal wasn't immediately clear, but a spokeswoman for Animal Care Centers of NYC said it died during transport. It wasn't clear where the animal was being taken at the time and city officials had no further comment. The remains were taken to a crematorium, officials said.
Bull at Center of Queens Chase Dies After Making Mad Dash for Freedom
The animal's demise culminates a wild chase that featured daring efforts by police and passersby to bring the bull into custody. Live video from Chopper 4 showed the bull penned between two houses at one point Tuesday as authorities attempted to wrangle it.
Chopper footage then captured the animal outmaneuvering law enforcement, dodging an officer who had jumped atop an emergency response vehicle, and ducking under yellow caution tape as it galloped down the middle of a street and onto a sidewalk.
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Cows escaped slaughterhouses at least twice last year, in January and April. In the second case, comedian Jon Stewart took possession of the bull and transferred it to an animal sanctuary he owns.
