Animal rights activist wants to save benjy the gay mayo bull from slaughterhouse

There’s a nice twist this week to the story of ‘Benjy’, the gay Mayo bull which has made newspaper and website headlines across the world since its story first appeared in last week’s issue of The Connaught Telegraph.

The non-performing Charlolais, purchased by a south Mayo farmer, was heading for the slaughterhouse for failing to inseminate even one of a herd of cows which he was freely mixing with.

To the dismay of its owner, Benjy displayed sexual urges for other male cattle rather than cows or heifers. The farmer involved, who wants to remain anonymous, had to bring in a new bull to inseminate his herd after Benjy, which had been passed as fertile in earlier tests, showed no interest in the task.

Resigned to the situation, Benjy’s owner decided to fatten him up for the factory.

Now, the country’s most outspoken advocate of animal rights, Limerick native, John Carmody, founder of the Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN), has stepped in to save Benjy from the butcher’s block.

He has got in touch with Joanna McNicholas, who exclusively broke the story of the gay bull in last week’s Connaught Telegraph, in an effort to contact the farmer involved.

“I want to get this animal into a sanctuary either here or in the UK, where it can peacefully live out the rest of its natural life,” Mr. Carmody explained.

“It will be an expensive thing to do but very worthwhile,” the prominent activist added.

Mr. Carmody said he hoped that with Christmas coming up the farmer would be in ‘a generous mood’ and not want too much for the animal in which he is no longer interested because of its inability to procreate.

John Carmody has been working tirelessly for years to increase the public perception of animal rights, and discusses the ongoing fight to get the plight of animals recognised and respected.