A cow that just did not want to be at the Meatworks slaughterhouse escaped from the State Road facility last Wednesday, leading responders in a chase down Route 6 before it was euthanized.

The cow escaped from the processing plant at about 2 p.m., Westport Animal Control said. Westport police, animal control officers from New Bedford, and the Massachusetts Highway Department came in to assist. After running up and down the westbound lane, responders decided to euthanize the animal as it was a danger to pedestrians and cars on Route 6.

The decision to put the cow down did not sit well with some commenters on the animal control page, who questioned whether it could have been taken to a sanctuary. But animal control officers said public safety drove the decision to euthanize it:

"We are sorry about the circumstances, but for the general public safety, we had to do what we had to do. This cow was never around people which made it much more dangerous."