Florida

Animal Rights Group Released Video Showing Alleged Abuse at Second Florida Dairy Farm

An animal rights group released a video Thursday showing alleged abuse at a second Florida dairy farm, days after they released shocking video at another leading dairy farm led to firings and the company’s product being dropped by a supermarket giant.

The group, known as Animal Recovery Mission, released the nearly 10 minute video they say was recorded in August at the Burnham Dairy Farm, located in Okeechobee.

In the video, workers can be seen whipping and beating cows into place at the milking station located at the farm. Footage captured also shows the animals living in facilities covered with waste product as well as both adult cows and calves dead in the fields from both hot summer temperatures and storms that struck the area.

Animal Recovery Mission released the grpahic video Thursday showing beatings and animal death at the Burnham Dairy Farm, one week after releasing video of abuse at a seperate farm (WARNING: Video features images some may find offensive)

To watch the complete video, click on this link. (WARNING: Graphic content)

The owners of Burnham Farms, Randy and Douglas Burnham, released a statement saying they are "appalled" to see the images in the video.

"While some of them reflect our struggle in the face of historic severe weather in Florida, we also can’t deny that others reflect a failure of our farm policies and management. We are taking immediate action regarding our employees," the statement continued. "At the same time, we are working with animal care experts in our industry to change our on-farm practices because we need to do better by our customers, our community, and most of all, our animals.”

Jim Sleper, the CEO of Southeast Milk Inc., released a statement saying that animal abuse is "never tolerated" and has placed the farm on a probationary status pending the decision by an outside auditor.

According to ARM, one of their investigators was able to get a job at Burnham, where they documented the alleged abuses.

"The gaudily images of abuse recorded by the ARM undercover investigator and myself are horrific," ARM founder Richard Couto said in a statement. "The long term torture to both mother and calf at the Burnham dairy will now resonate throughout the world. We at ARM are hopeful that justice will prevail."

ARM will hold a news conference in Deerfield Beach Thursday to discuss the video.

Earlier this month, the group exposed animal abuse at Larson Dairy Farm, also located in Okeechobee, releasing surveillance video that captured events including workers kicking and beating cows with a rod.

Jacob Larson, the dairy farm’s owner, said in a statement that the disturbing video that went viral resulted in a company investigation and the firing of at least one worker seen in the video. He said the actions in the video appalled him and Larson called the use of force "simply unacceptable on our dairy or on any other farm."

After the video surfaced, Publix Supermarkets announced they would suspend raw milk deliveries from the farm.

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