While the phrase “having a cow” usually means “freaking out,” people across the country are finding out hugging one does exactly the opposite.
The Washington Post reports on one cow rescue sanctuary in Arizona that’s letting pandemic-stressed people hug and cuddle their affectionate cows. For people like Renee Behinfar, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
“It was really my first real hug of the year,” the 43-year-old psychologist admitted to the paper about her experience at Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary. Behinfar lives alone, and explained that when a 2,000-pound cow named Sammy cradled its massive head in the stressed psychiatrist’s lap, she cried.
She enjoyed her experience so much that she bought a $75-an-hour session of cow cuddling at the sanctuary for her friend as a gift.
Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary is home to 100 rescued animals, and owner Aimee Takaha says she’s offered cow cuddling for five years. With the pandemic, business is booming, she noted, explaining she fields 20 calls a day about the experience.
They’re booked up through July, but other such sanctuaries across the country are also offering the bovine bonding sessions.