Loveable René and his sweet twin sister Juultje, were born in May 2016, somewhere in a meadow on a dairy farm near Callantsoog. The newborn calves were discovered by a family walking close by and when they realised the calves destiny*, the kind family purchased and transported the calves to safety at Leemweg. 

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René and twin Juultje were inseparable - whenever you saw one, you always saw the other.  For over eight years René enjoyed life at Leemweg; in the winter he was nice and warm in the stable, in the summer he liked to go to the pasture. In the autumn of 2024, tragically René could no longer stand. The vet found a swelling next to his spine (the cause of which unknown) and Juultje had to say goodbye to her sweet René.

 

It was such a pleasure to meet René. He was a big, friendly giant with some wonderful, almost human, facial expressions!

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​​​The proceeds from Rene's portrait are shared with Stichting Leemweg. For more information on this amazing sanctuary, please visit www.koeienrusthuis.nl

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* With a twin birth of male and female calves, the female calf is always born infertile. The male has no value for the dairy industry and neither an infertile female, so their destiny will be the slaughterhouse.