Minnie, a 2-year-old brown and white cow who behaved like...

Minnie, a 2-year-old brown and white cow who behaved like a playful dog, was beloved by some visitors of Benner's Farm in East Setauket. Credit: Benner’s Farm

Minnie the Cow, whose fans tried to save from the slaughterhouse, can no longer be found at Benner’s Farm in East Setauket, its owners said Saturday.

“On Friday morning, we moved the cow from our property. We will not be answering any additional questions about her,” the Benner family said by email.

The 2-year-old brown and white cow, who behaved like a playful dog, was beloved by some of the farm’s visitors, who launched protests and a Facebook campaign to send her to an animal sanctuary.

The farm, also an event and education venue, appeared caught off guard by the uproar over the fate of a cow they had always intended to eat.

“We have been inundated with harassing phone calls, Facebook posts, bad reviews, and threats all aiming to change our mind,” the family said.

Some Facebook posts urged protesters to refocus on some of the well-documented cruelties of factory farms.

“This cow lived a great life compared to factory cows that are immediately separated from their parents at birth,” castrated and dehorned, and that have their tails cut off, said one post.

Protesters hold signs outside of Benner's Farm in East Setauket...

Protesters hold signs outside of Benner's Farm in East Setauket to save Minnie the Cow from being slaughtered, April 10, 2016. Credit: Ed Betz

The Benners urged protesters to “turn off the Internet, go for a walk . . . and let us get back to our farm.”

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