Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation commented on the undercover video released by Mercy for Animals this week of animal cruelty on an Ohio dairy farm.

During a four-week investigation between April and May, MFA’s investigator documented farm workers at Conklin Dairy Farms in Plain City, Ohio:

• Violently punching young calves in the face, body slamming them to the ground, and pulling and throwing them by their ears
• Routinely using pitchforks to stab cows in the face, legs and stomach
• Kicking “downed” cows (those too injured to stand) in the face and neck – abuse carried out and encouraged by the farm’s owner
• Maliciously beating restrained cows in the face with crowbars – some attacks involving over 40 blows to the head
• Twisting cows’ tails until the bones snapped
• Punching cows’ udders
• Bragging about stabbing, dragging, shooting, breaking bones, and beating cows and calves to death

“We condemn the actions of cruelty against farm animals that were on display in the undercover video released this week,” Stallman said. “ At least one farm worker in question now faces 12 counts of animal cruelty.  We encourage law enforcement authorities with jurisdiction in this case to pursue the maximum penalties possible for those responsible for these heinous acts of animal cruelty. Further, we encourage a deeper investigation into all aspects of how the animals on the farm in question have been treated. There is no excuse for the treatment those animals received.”

 Stallman said there is never justification for the type of mistreatment and cruelty that was displayed in the video.

“As farmers and ranchers, we must and we do care for our animals and the well-being of our animals. Caring for farm animals is an ethic that guides our every move. Even one case of abuse of farm animals is unacceptable,” he said.

 Stallman said farmers and ranchers know they are accountable for the humane treatment of the livestock in our care.

“We know it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to prevent abuse to farm animals,” he said. “As members of the agricultural community, we also know it is our responsibility to stop any such actions if and when they are brought to our attention, including alerting appropriate law enforcement officials. America’s farmers and ranchers will not stand for cruelty against farm animals, and we must continue to be vigilant to stop those few who give livestock production a bad name.”

Stallman said people who abuse farm animals do not deserve a spot in the agricultural community or in livestock production as a business.

Maybe that’s why organizations such as Humane Society of the United States and Mercy for Animals exist. The bigger question is agriculture able to police itself? These organizations, such as HSUS, we may not agree with all their tactics, but they represent a consciousness for society about how we treat animals. Their message is strong. Just one incident of mistreatment of farm animals, such as the dairy cattle on the Ohio farm, can harm agriculture in the eyes of the customers they are trying to reach with their products.

Stallman and HSUS are on the same page when it comes to incidents such as Mercy for Animals exposed.

“The people who committed the sadistic and barbaric cruelty documented by Mercy for Animals at an Ohio dairy should have the book thrown at them,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “These deeply disturbing attacks against helpless animals should be troubling to anyone with any level of decency.”

This type of incident only fuels HSUS drive to strengthen anti-cruelty laws in Ohio and across the nation and give  judges and prosecutors “the tools to handle people who engage in malicious cruelty, including to farm animals,” Pacelle said.

HSUC is supporting the Ohioans for Humane Farms ballot initiative to promote the humane treatment of farm animals. The measure would ban inhumane killing of animals on the farm, outlaw the transport of downer cattle, and halt the extreme confinement of veal calves, breeding pigs, and laying hens in cages barely larger than their bodies.