Emily the Cow – Sherborn, MA

In Sherborn, this memorial stands for a cow whose life became a symbol of compassion in our time.

Emily’s story belongs to the late twentieth century. After escaping from a slaughterhouse in 1995, she was taken in by the Peace Abbey, a sanctuary devoted to nonviolence, humanitarian causes and animal welfare. There she lived out the remainder of her life, nearly eight years, becoming a quiet ambassador for animal protection and ethical reflection.

When Emily died in 2003, she was buried in Sherborn, and the Animal Rights Memorial was created at her gravesite. The plague frames her life as something worthy of remembrance. Alongside colonial homes and war monuments, Sherborn also preserves a site dedicated to conscience and mercy in the modern era.   

In Sherborn, history is not frozen in one period. It stretched from seventeenth century settlement to twentieth century activism. Here is a single cow remembered for her life, her survival and how she moved people