Emily the Cow, Vegetarian Activist
Sherborn, Massachusetts
Died 2004
In 1995, Emily the Cow escaped from a slaughterhouse in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, by jumping a gate. During her 40 days eluding capture, Emily was aided by a sort of ad hoc Underground Railroad of townspeople. She found lasting refuge at Sherborn's "Peace Abbey," and became a charismatic spokescow, espousing a meat-free diet for humans. She didn't talk, but her huge eyes and friendly disposition inspired many who met her.
When Emily died in 2004, her owners commissioned artist Lado Goudjabidze to sculpt a life-sized likeness to stand above her grave -- near statues of Mother Teresa and Gandhi. Emily was buried in April 2005, and the statue was dedicated soon after, on Earth Day.
The statue is labeled as the "Sacred Cow Animal Rights Memorial."
In 2012 the Peace Abbey was sold and turned into an over-55 condo community -- on the condition that Emily (and her human statue companions) would remain. In 2018 the plaza surrounding Emily was rededicated as The Pacifist Memorial, with plaques honoring personages from Muhammad Ali to John Lennon. But Emily endures as the show-cow centerpiece.