Flora's fate should not be different from those of all others, if there were not a little girl, named Fanny, whose deepest wish it is to save her...

It all started on a Sunday morning in November 2012, when Fanny, together with her parents, visited the catholic Archabbey “St. Ottilien” in Germany, Bavaria, after the church services. Fanny was so very impressed by the young calves that she saw in the courtyard of the monastery, so that back at home, she decided to write a letter to the Abbey, to ask if she could buy a little calf.


On the day that Fanny and her mother visited the barns of the monastery (following an invitation received from an employee of the monastery in response to her letter) Fanny and her mother had the chance to witness the birth of a calf and Fanny's mother was even allowed to assist. Fanny named the calf 'Antonella'. After that, they visited the igloos where the veal calves are being kept. There, she met two very young calves - twins - a female and a male.  Fanny fell immediately in love with the two young babies and named the female calf 'Flora'. The employee told Fanny that Flora was up for sale because she was worthless for them, given that she could not have babies and thus could never give milk. 



Because she is infertile, Flora can never be a dairy cow and she will thus have the same fate as male calves: she will be fattened to become "veal" and she will probably be sent to slaughter at the age of 6 - 9 months, that is to say, in summer 2013.

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But the little girl, Fanny, does not want to let this happen! She has decided to save Flora and has even arranged a place for her in the animal sanctuary 'Gut Aiderbichl' where Flora could live peacefully together with cows and many other animals. Fanny is willing to give all the money that she has saved in her young life (1 euro per week) to make this dream become a reality, and Fanny's parents have promised to pay the rest of the needed money to buy out Flora and send her to the sanctuary.



During a few weeks, each Monday, Fanny's parents drove to Weilheim, to the livestock auction, with the intend to buy Flora. But they couldn't find her there. So they went to the office of the auction to inquire where they could possibly find Flora and to their big surprise and disappointment, they were told that she was no longer for sale; that the monastery had decided to keep her.



It was a great deception for Fanny when her parents told her the sad news, but nevertheless no reason for her to give up. She decided to write to the Abbey again, but this time, she would write to the abbot of St Ottilien to ask for his help. Fanny's mother told her, that the abbot, Mr Öxler, being a monk, surely has a big heart and that he would understand her desire to save Flora, and help her to make this dream become a reality.



Unfortunately, and much to the surprise of Fanny, Father Öxler showed no comprehension and he said that the calf was not for sale. He said, we can not have everything in life... And that the parents of Fanny, who surely have a big heart, too, can not fulfill all her wishes.



Shall this now be the end of the story?  Not, if you are as determined as the little Fanny.​..​