An expectant cow has been sentenced to die after it was careless enough to wander over the EU border, Agence France Presse reported.
The unlucky bovine, Penka, only three weeks away from giving birth, strayed away from its herd in a village in Bulgaria and crossed the border into the country’s non-EU neighbor, Serbia.
Pregnant cow sentenced to death by officials after illegally wandering over EU border
— Socialist Voice (@SocialistVoice) 2 июня 2018 г.
Bulgarian officials say bovine must be must be put down because of strict EU rules
https://t.co/heimDI8iVl
The four-legged trespasser was later returned to its Bulgarian owner but even though Serbian veterinarians said it was fit as a fiddle, Bulgarian officials said the cow will have to be put down due to the EU’s no-nonsense health rules.
“Surely this is a case where pragmatism should prevail over a strict reading of the rules,” John Flack, a British Conservative MEP, wrote to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the president of the European Union Antonio Tajani urging them to show compassion for poor Penka’s predicament.
According to European Commission guidelines, cows must be presented at border checkpoints with documents verifying they are healthy.
Is the Cow going to appeal against the decision? Technically, being an animal it does not know it is breaking the law. I'm pretty sure some Lawyer will milk it for all it's worth.
— Michael Andrews (@MJohnA01) 2 июня 2018 г.
Meanwhile, a change.org petition calling on the European Parliament to make an exception for Penka and let it procreate in peace has garnered around 1,800 signatures.
READ MORE: Meat on the Mooooove: Cow in Poland Escapes Death to Live Free
