3 arrested amid videos of alleged cow torture

dairy farm workers were arrested and a fourth is being sought after video appeared to show cows being tortured.

Add McArthur Dairy Farms to Larson Dairy Farm and Burnham Dairy Farm — all Okeechobee County suppliers to Publix Super Markets — to list that have been filmed by undercover workers from Animal Recovery Mission trying to make a point about the abuse that they say dairy cows routinely endure.

The latest films, released Thursday, appear to show workers using blowtorches to sear off the hairs of the cows’ udders to sanitize teats before milking, and PVC piping affixed with knifelike pro tru Three sions to prod the animals. The video also appears to show cows being buried alive, electrocuted, shot and crushed to death.

Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel E. Stephen announced the arrests of McArthur Dairy Farm workers Thursday.

The suspects are identified as Mario Hernandez, 31, who is charged with causing cruel death, pain and suffering, a fel the ony. Fernando Lopez-Cruz, 44, and Naul Dorantes-Garcia, 31, are facing misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals. Authorities say there is a warrant for the arrest of a fourth individual from the farm.

Sheriff Stephen also announced that he is looking at a fourth dairy farm, Davie Dairy, in the criminal investigation

that started with workers from Animal Rescue Mission infiltrating the dairy operations.

“We have hundreds and hundreds of hours of video to review,” he said. “We will look at every minute when we get the opportunity.”

McArthur Dairy could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Richard Couto, the founder of Animal Recovery Mission, said he’s just getting started exposing the cruelty of factory farming. He said many more undercover operations are underway across Florida and the nation. The dairy industry is the easiest target because it’s notorious for its abuses, he said.

“It’s impossible to make a dairy humane,” he said. “The baby is torn from the mother at birth, … The baby has to be taken, because that milk is for you.”

Couto says the rescue’s ultimate mission is to educate the public about the inhumane treatment.

“The only reason there are dairies out there is that people are fueling the industry,” he said, urging people to drink nondairy milks, such as almond or soy.

It its news release, Animal Recovery Mission said Dean Foods “owned and controlled” McArthur Dairy Farm. The Sun Sentinel’s TV partner, CBS12, reached out to Dean Foods for comment.

In a statement, Dean Foods wrote: “We want to make it clear that Dean Foods does not own or control any dairy farms. While we proudly own the McArthur Dairy brand and dairy processing plant located in Miami, the ‘McArthur’ name is totally coincidental. Dean Foods has no ownership interest and is in no way involved in the management of McArthur Farms.”

The statement from Dean Foods went on to say the company “is appalled at the behaviors shown in the video released by ARM. We believe that providing for the health and welfare of dairy cows is the right thing to do, and we expect all farmers to ensure their animals are being cared for and handled according to sound animal welfare principles.”

At Southeast Milk, the dairy cooperative that McArthur Farms belongs to, CEO Jim Sleper released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying the cooperative has “zero tolerance for animal abuse,” and plans mandatory management and animal care training for its members this week.

Publix, meanwhile, announced it had suspended any deliveries of raw milk from the McArthur Dairy.

Hernandez