A Passaic County animal control officer wants to prevent pregnant animals from being sent to slaughter in New Jersey.

Chief Animal Control Officer John DeCando is asking state lawmakers to introduce a bill to the state Legislature.

The push comes after a pregnant cow named Brianna escaped from a truck bound for a slaughterhouse in Paterson last week. DeCando is working with the state Department of Agriculture to determine if anything can be done.

"I'm sure it happens more than once that we know about. Unfortunately, this cow must have known that she was going to the slaughterhouse to die and I guess she realized that she was pregnant and I guess she did everything in her power to get out of that truck,” DeCando says.

Brianna gave birth to her calf Winter over the weekend. The two are staying at an animal rescue facility in Wantage.