A Maff official, a slaughterman and a policeman arrived at the farm, and the Boards stood their ground. They told the Maff official they would need a court injunction. The policeman, there to protect the slaughterman, ended up having to do the opposite. He told the Maff official they would have to leave the land. Phoenix survived the second attempt to kill her.
Phoenix has to die.
But pleas to spare Phoenix flooded in. The Mirror launched a campaign to 'Save Phoenix from the Ashes'. Animal rights groups and actress Carla Lane threw in their support. Anthony Gibson, regional director of the National Farmer's Union, said the calf's slaughter would 'make King Herod look like a humanitarian'. The idea of slaughtering this animal was totally unacceptable.