Welfare group: Hidden video shows Ohio cows beaten!

[Bravo Zulu]

CLEVELAND (AP) -- An animal welfare group said Tuesday that a graphic video it secretly recorded shows workers at a dairy farm beating cows with crowbars, stabbing them with pitchforks and punching them in their heads.

The video was recorded in an undercover investigation at Conklin Dairy Farms Inc., said Mercy For Animals, a not-for-profit group that publicizes what it calls cruel practices in the dairy, meat and egg industries and promotes a vegan diet.

The video shows workers holding down newborn calves and stomping on their heads. It shows one worker wiring a cow's nose to a metal bar near the ground and repeatedly beating it with another bar while it bleeds.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COW_BEATING_VIDEO?SITE=PAPIT&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Online:

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/

[nosmokes]

1. The strongest argument I ever saw that factory farming is a failure.

that video was horrific and Conklin & his employees need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible and banned from being around kids and animals w/o supervision.

[Bonobo]

2. The difference between how they regard their cows in Miyazaki, Japan is striking.

In Japan, the prized bulls have names and the ranchers actually cry over the fact that they must be slaughtered due to the hoof and mouth disease breakout.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100525p2a00m0na008000c.html

Farm ministry insists on slaughtering 49 seed bulls in Miyazaki

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has dismissed requests that 49 seed bulls in Miyazaki Prefecture, which has been plagued by an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, not be slaughtered to preserve high-quality Miyazaki brand bulls.

"An exception shouldn't be made," said Senior Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Vice Minister Masahiko Yamada. "We've told the prefectural government that any further spread of the virus in unacceptable. The prefectural government and other public organizations must take the lead in abiding by the law."

Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru expressed disappointment over the national government's decision. "It's regrettable. Seed bulls are important assets for the livestock industry. I'd like the ministry to consider the importance of such bulls that are different from ordinary beef cows."

However, suspicion has arisen that another seed bull kept by the association may be infected with the disease, prompting the ministry to order that the 49 remaining cows at the association be slaughtered.

Moreover, it emerged that Tadafuji, one of the six prized bulls taking shelter in Saito, may have been infected, and the cow was slaughtered on Saturday.

[Luminous Animal]

3. Mmm, cows. Why I'm eating entire cow now!

I jest. Just preempting the DU carnivore brigade.

[FedUpWithIt All]

19. This is really beyond that argument. Watch the video. It is horrendous.

Even meat eaters can agree that what is happening to these poor animals is heart rendering and shameful.

[Mojorabbit]

4. OMG this is awful

Who can I call about this?

[liberalla]

7. Change.org has a petition going

SHUT DOWN CONKLIN DAIRY FARMS AND ARREST AND CHARGE GARY CONKLIN AND HIS CREW WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY!!!

It's not nearly enough, but it's a start.

[Divine Discontent]

12. good job, thanks!

[stewartcolbert08]

5. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!

What the fuck is the matter with people?! I dont understand how any rational, feeling, human being can torture a helpless animal! I am furious after reading that story. I hope those people pay for what they did, I'm sure they wont because corporations dont give a shit about anything but protits! UGH! I just feel so helpless. Poor cows! :cry:

[proudohioan]

6. I can't even bring myself to watch......... n/t

[Divine Discontent]

11. you would be horrified... I watch over half of it.. the kicking & punching of calves is disgusting,

and it's all made worse by his false machismo actin' tough about how he beats them til their faces blow up when they don't obey him - talk about a company needing fined 50G's for not supervising their idiots better... He and others routinely do it, so they know they abuse them. I understand force to get them off of something, or to let go of something, that's what cattle prods are for, but to beat them 10 or 20 times in the head, punching their utters, pitchforking them in the face, and brutalizing the calves - that's just a monster! And sadly, there's TONS of guys just like him who work in dairies all over the world. They don't think of these animals as being living creatures.

[proudohioan]

17. Unfortunately, 19 Action news showed some of it....

and it made me sick! And the guy that they showed! I wanted to put my fist through the television and punch him, cut his tail off and beat him with it.

Those people make me sick!

[flvegan]

8. I thought dairy cows were happy cows?

My television tells me everything, and that's what it told me. Erego, those cows must LOVE that sort of behavior.

Mercy For Animals does great work, and this is just another in a series of successes. My kudos to them!

[Divine Discontent]

9. i have a friend who works at a dairy farm run by a small family & some of the things

he tells me sound quite rough, but they would NEVER hold down a newborn calf and stomp it's head! They cried when a newborn died.

These idiots need arrested for cruelty. And yes, factory farming - sounds bad and looks bad now!

[Divine Discontent]

10. I found a billy joe on facebook, not sure if it's him, he's in fatigues

and the guy looks thinner on facebook.

but here's the yahoo pic of him, instead. gotta click it - ?x=400&y=300&q=85&sig=rq6iJRZUzmVBKtqUiwT1Ow--



he's a real MANLY MAN, he can beat defenseless animals senseless! someone get a crow bar...

[FedUpWithIt All]

20. He claims he was in Iraq and served 6 years. Says he is disabled.

So it could have been him.

[Catherina]

13. Asshole Jerks Rot in hell while cows stomp on your testicles n/t

[underseasurveyor]

14. I can't watch the video

I'm already in tears reading what's posted. Poor sweet critters don't deserve being tortured and beaten. FUCK!!!!

I hope these people are made an example of with heavy, Heavy fines and even heavier jail time and being registered animal abusers sounds pretty damn good to me. I can hope anyway.

Having lived in farm country for 9 years in the mid-west I've heard numerous horror stories from pig farmers to dairy farmers and from people that work in slaughter houses. I've seen their living conditions and I've heard their screams at night. It's beyond sickening:cry:

[Mendocino]

15. Dairy-the kinder, gentler source of protein.

This is the sort of stuff that made me go vegan.

[flvegan]

16. Kick

dairy!

See what I did there?

[Ignis]

21. Well played.

:toast:

Also, :kick:!

[boppers]

18. One has been charged with 12 counts of cruelty, and remains in jail

This is not how to farm, if anything, this screws up the animals and makes them fearful and reactionary.

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. awful. I'm avoiding watching the video