Benjy, dubbed the gay bull of Ireland, which was set to be slaughtered for failing to mate with any heifers, has been offered a reprieve, with the help of The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon.

Simon, who is battling colon cancer, has been contributing much of his estimated net worth of $100 million to animal rights causes, and is footing the bill of having Benjy transported to the United Kingdom. Benjy, who has been deemed fertile by veterinarians, failed to mate with any of the lady cows at County Mayo farm in western Ireland. Benjy, a Charlerois bull, was more attracted to the bull which replaced him.

After the proprietor of the farm announced he planned to have Benjy processed, animal rights activists launched a crowdfunding campaign seeking $7,825 last week, in hopes of sending the cow to the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, England. The sanctuary houses roughly 2,000 unwanted farm animals and horses.

About 300 backers contributed $6,200 to an ongoing fundraising drive organized by the British online magazine TheGayUK.

Simon, who developed The Simpsons in 1989 alongside creator Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, receives millions of dollars in royalties from the show each year.

Simon, who said he heard of Benjy’s plight via People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, commented, “All animals have a dire destiny in the meat trade, but to kill this bull because he’s gay would’ve been a double tragedy. It thrills me to help PETA and ARAN make Benjy’s fate a sanctuary rather than a sandwich.”

Expanded Simpsons cow intrigue:

Nice to see Gay bull Benjy has been saved from abattoir. Hope he has many years scaring other straight bulls…. http://t.co/brqy6qyP67

— Jake O'Kane (@JakeOKane) November 18, 2014

By Thursday the narrative will go all wrong when Benjy the gay bull is accused of racism

— Ed West (@edwest) November 18, 2014

ARAN (Ireland’s Animal Rights Action Network) campaigns director John Carmody remarked that Simon and other donors were buying the bull “a one-way ticket to freedom.”