Dairy co-operative, Arla, has confirmed it has suspended one of its dairy suppliers while it investigates allegations of animal abuse that were covertly filmed by animal rights activists at a farm in the UK.
The video was filmed secretly over the course of several weeks by an ‘undercover worker’, who claimed to have captured acts of violence and cruelty inflicted onto cows by various farm hands working on site.
This video was shared online by the Animal Justice Project.
The video contains footage of cows that were allegedly beaten with various instruments such as pipes, ropes, and pliers, as well as a cow being kicked several times by a worker while laying on the ground after calving.
The video also depicted dead calves, which it was claimed, were left out in the yard for long periods of time.
In a statement Arla also outlined that individuals who featured in the video “no longer work on the farm.
Arla
A spokesperson for Arla stated: “Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach. We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously.
“The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers.
“The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm, however, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further.”
Arla also added that while the investigation is still ongoing it has “already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations.”
The video, posted by Animal Justice Project, showed workers allegedly using electric goads on visibly lame cows while it also showcased a worker hurling rocks at a cow who attempted to break free from it’s enclosure.
The animal abuse allegedly occurred on Lowlands Farm in North Yorkshire, a large-scale dairy farm and which supplies milk to the dairy co-operative, Arla.
A former UK government deputy chief veterinary officer and former Food Standards Agency veterinary director, Alick Simmons, has given her views on the video.
She said: “On a large dairy farm such as this, there will be events where the routine handling and movement of cows will be challenging.
“However, there is little that could be said in mitigation of the events shown in this video.
“The repeated and unconstrained use of sticks and electric goads is gratuitous and excessive. This is particularly notable during the loading of cows onto a cattle transporter.”
Simmons also stated that a number of the atrocities evident in the video may be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
“A number of the events shown may constitute an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and should be investigated by the regulator.
“That these events occurred on a farm contracted to a dairy processing company holding itself as an exemplar represents a serious failure of training, management, and supervision,” she said.
