WHERE’S THE BEEF?

Hare Krishnas Launch Adopt-a-Cow

Sanctuary set up bovine refugees

Brother, can you spare a cow? The financial crisis is affecting everyone, including the Hare Krishnas: their US cow sanctuary, once home to 434 holy bovine refugees, now houses less than 80 sacred cows. Their unique solution? For $51, you can feed a cow for a month, while $108 would "provide special care for retired cows that can no longer breed or give milk," the group says in one appeal. "In one selfless stroke, you are sending a valuable message to our children and to a troubled world which sees today's gentle cow as tomorrow's dinner." Just like the adopt-a-child programs of the '90s, the Hare Krishna's adopt-a-cow effort comes with bovine photographs and updates for donors, along with an open invitation to visit the cows in the New Vrindaban cattle sanctuary in West Virginia. "Cows are very dear to Krishna," said one cow caretaker. "If I help someone very dear to Krishna, maybe I might benefit."