Cow abuse videos prompt reforms by dairy industry group

A dairy industry group announced reforms Monday after undercover videos at two Florida dairy farms showed cows being kicked, punched and beaten.

Southeast Milk Inc., which ships and markets milk for dairies in Florida and three other states, will work with members to introduce or enhance 24-hour video surveillance of dairy farm operations, the organization announced at a news conference at Zolfo Springs, in Hardee County.

It will hold mandatory remedial training sessions for dairy owners and operators next month. It will accelerate the adaptation of stricter national standards for cow care, which requires more training, closer working relationships with veterinarians and stronger sanctions for farms that fail to comply.

“Southeast Milk has a zero-tolerance policy for animal abuse,” said Jim Sleper, chief executive officer of Southeast Milk.

But Animal Recovery Mission, the Miami-Dade animal-rights group that made the videos, expressed skepticism over the statement, saying that while the reforms may be a step forward, they failed to address major abuses and appeared intended to reassure the public that it was all right to consume milk, cheese and ice cream.

The announcement follows the release of undercover videos taken by representatives of Animal Recovery Mission, who got jobs at Larson Dairy Farm and Burnham Dairy Farm, both in Okeechobee County.

The videos showed workers hitting and kicking cows to get them into and out of milking stalls. The animal rights group said cows at both farms were living in miserable conditions. At Burnham, it said, sick cows were dragged out to fields and left to die with no veterinary care.

Sleper said employees engaged in abuse of animals should be fired and his organization would cooperate with any investigation.

One Larson worker was arrested and three others were being sought on animal-cruelty charges.