The images have stirred emotion and sparked outrage around the globe – workers on an Ohio dairy farm stabbing cows with pitchforks, beating them in the head with crowbars, breaking their tails, and punching, kicking, and body-slamming young calves.
MFA’s newly released undercover investigation at Conklin Dairy Farms has shined a bright international spotlight on the abuse endured by farmed animals – cruelty that all too often occurs out of sight, and out of mind.
The undercover footage has gone viral – lighting up Facebook boards and Twitter pages. Over 1,000 media outlets worldwide have reported on the case, including CNN and ABC World News Tonight.
The abuses uncovered at this Ohio dairy farm have struck a nerve with millions of consumers – who are turning their outrage into personal action, and calls for swift justice.
In an article he wrote for Huffington Post, actor Alec Baldwin commented on MFA’s investigation, stating:
Let me assure you, someone risked their health and maybe their life to record that video. When you see this, you will never again doubt the necessity for and courage of the animal rights movement.
In an open letter to Gary Conklin, owner of the dairy farm at the center of the undercover video controversy, Jamie Lee Curtis wrote:
Our daughter came to us last night urging us to watch the video of the abuse at your plant. She was overcome with grief that human beings could inflict such cruelty and unconscious hatred at the most benign of creatures and their infants. The shocking images were too much for her father and me but we watched enough to know where it led.
Thousands of other concerned citizens have flooded MFA and message boards with their heartfelt gratitude and support. Below is a small sampling of what people are saying:
I am absolutely FINISHED with eating all ice cream, milk, cheese and other big ag dairy products. This industry is CRIMINAL. The only way to change them is to stop buying. Horrible conditions for cows. No excuse!So glad I know about Mercy for Animals – I became a member yesterday.A special THANK YOU to the investigator that risked his/her life to get the footage!There are no words to commend this investigator. Just no words. My heart aches for these animals and my heart really goes out to the investigator. This had to be one of the hardest things you will ever do. Thank you MFA for all your work.Mercy for Animals is the most courageous and valuable group. I donated to them today. Everyone should.Let’s use this anger and energy we feel in productive advocacy, asking current meat eaters to reduce their consumption of animal products and move towards vegan diets, as this will decrease the number of animals used in modern farming. Showing this and other video footage, leafleting and doing feed-ins are good ways to spread compassionate eating.Just joined Mercy for Animals – that’s how I’m helping. Every little bit counts.I was vegetarian now I am VEGAN. My heart is broken over this.Thanks to Conklin Dairy Farm, my husband has given up dairy products for good. Maybe that’s what they were going for?More and more awareness is developing towards the horrors we have created. It is a changing world.In filming this sordid abuse of farm animals, the investigator has prevented many more gratuitous animal beatings.Please keep up the good work being the voice of the voiceless. I honestly don’t know how your undercover people can go on after witnessing such unrelenting cruelty and horrifying atrocities. Thank you so much for doing what you do. Please tell anybody and everybody who works for you that they are my heroes. I am a Firefighter/Paramedic for San Antonio Fire Department and nothing I will ever do measures up to this. Thank you.Thank you so much for the work you do. These poor animals don’t have a voice, and it is our duty to speak out for them. We are all they have behind the farm walls. Please, don’t give up the fight!Thank you for what you do. It’s that simple. I can’t comprehend the cruelty that we allow as a society. YOU are doing the most noble work I can think of.I watched the first five seconds of this video last night and had to stop it. How anyone could be so cruel to defenseless animals is beyond me. It made my stomach turn and my heart ache. I hope this “man” is brought to justice.I’m an animal lover, and after seeing this video and so many other undercover investigations that show such cruelty, all I can say is, I’m glad I went vegan! Animals want to live in peace, and we don’t need to eat them (or drink their milk) to survive, so let’s show some compassion!Their video showing male chicks being killed was the impetus for me to instantly “Go Vegan.” This further evidence supports that decision. Thank you, Mercy for Animals, for continuing to uncover these despicable and incredibly cruel practices.This makes me so sad, but sadder still because I know this is not an isolated case. Factory Farming creates inhumane conditions for animals and is where most Americans get their meat, eggs, and dairy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We vote with our dollar!I wish this were an isolated instance, but I doubt that it is. That is why today I am proud to say I am a vegan. I’m so glad to have no part of this cruelty and violent exploitation any longer – the peace of mind that comes from eating with integrity is more delicious than any food.Thank you so much for the amazing undercover work. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to obtain this footage, but it is so powerful. You are to be commended.
As the nation struggles with the violence and cruelty the cows and calves at Conklin Dairy Farms were subjected to, and as law enforcement works diligently to investigate the case, consumers can find empowerment in knowing that they can immediately withdraw their support from the sort of abuses uncovered during this investigation by ditching dairy.
As past MFA investigations have shown, animal abuse – whether malicious or institutionalized – goes hand-in-hand with factory dairy farming. Click here to order a free Vegetarian Starter Kit, and click here for more tips and resources on making the transition to a more compassionate diet.
