Investigation released to the public on 26 January 2010
Far from leading the carefree lives portrayed in the dairy industry's "happy cow" commercials, the vast majority of cows used for dairy production today lead lives of deprivation, confinement, painful mutilations and cruel handling. These curious and intelligent animals are denied access to open pasture and treated as mere milk-producing machines - forced to live on manure-coated concrete floors in overcrowded sheds.
A new Mercy For Animals investigation is pulling back the curtains on the largest dairy factory farm in New York State – Willet Dairy in Locke. In early 2009 an MFA undercover investigator worked at the mega-dairy, secretly documenting egregious acts of animal cruelty, including neglect, with a hidden camera.
Evidence gathered during the investigation reveals:
- Cows with bloody open wounds, prolapsed uteruses, pus-filled infections, and swollen joints, apparently left to suffer without veterinary care
- "Downed" cows – those too sick or injured to even stand – left to suffer for weeks before dying or being killed
- Workers hitting, kicking, punching, and electric-shocking cows and calves
- Calves having their horns burned off without painkillers, as a worker shoved his fingers into the calves' eyes to restrain them
- Calves having their tails cut off - a painful practice opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Newborn calves forcibly dragged away from their mothers by their legs, causing emotional distress to both mother and calf
- Cows living in overcrowded sheds on manure-coated concrete flooring
- Workers injecting cows with a controversial bovine growth hormone, used to increase milk production
In a joint statement, internationally renowned experts, including Dr. Bernard Rollin, an expert witness on animal welfare issues in the U.S. and abroad, and Dr. Temple Grandin, a world-renowned cattle welfare expert and advisor to the USDA, compared the conditions documented at Willet to the infamous Hallmark slaughterhouse, where undercover video exposing abuse of downed cows resulted in the largest beef recall in US history. They state, "This dairy presents at least as bad a picture of the industry as does Hallmark."
New York veterinarian, Dr. Holly Cheever, bluntly stated, "[I]t is my professional opinion that the environment that this dairy provides as well as its cattle-handling techniques are improper, unhygienic, dangerous, and inhumane."
Despite the overwhelming evidence that the dairy operation repeatedly violated New York's animal cruelty laws, which was meticulously compiled by Mercy For Animals and presented to the Cayuga County District Attorney, the law enforcement agency refuses to uphold the state's laws to protect animals - allowing abuse to continue at Willet, unchecked.
Sadly, the inhumane conditions uncovered at this factory farm are not isolated. Whether raised for meat, dairy or eggs, animals used in food production are frequently subjected to appalling confinement, mutilations, brutal handling and slaughter. Because agribusiness values profit over ethical principles, cruelty to animals continues to run rampant on factory farms.
Thankfully, compassionate consumers can choose to withdraw their support of these abusive industries by adopting a vegan diet. Each time we eat we can choose kindness over cruelty.
Media coverage:
Video:
UPDATE RELEASED BY EMAIL ON 04 FEBRUARY 2010
Dear Friend,
There has been some major fall-out from Mercy For Animals' New York dairy farm investigation that could change state law, prevent cruelty to thousands of animals and open the hearts and minds of millions of Americans to the plight of dairy cows!
After reviewing MFA's investigation, New York State Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal proposed a ban on tail docking - A.09732 - similar to one that was enacted in California last year.
Tail docking, which involves cutting off the ends of calves' tails - severing through sensitive skin, nerves and bone without any painkillers - is among the most disturbing practices MFA's undercover investigator captured on film at Willet Dairy - New York's largest dairy mega-farm.
Although the American Veterinary Medical Association condemns tail docking as painful and unnecesary and cutting off the tails of horses has been illegal in New York for decades, it remains common practice in the dairy industry.
MFA's release of cruelty footage at Willet Dairy has also led to Leprino Foods, a Denver-based cheese producer, dropping Willet as a milk supplier. Leprino distributes cheese to the three largest pizza companies in the United States - Pizza Hut, Dominos and Papa John's.
Perhaps most importantly, this investigation has brought to light the issue of animal cruelty within the dairy industry to millions of Americans for the first time.
Shocking images of inhumane dairy industry practices have aired on ABC's World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer and Nightline, CNN, and hundreds of newspapers, radio and television news networks from coast-to-coast featured the investigation, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and Forbes.
The extensive media coverage has prompted many consumers to ditch dairy - boycotting the cruelty inflicted upon dairy cows.
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