Undercover video shows abuse of cows

PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WDTN) - Animal rights activists came to Dayton Wednesday to show shocking video of animal cruelty at an Ohio dairy farm.

Mercy for Animals, a Chicago based, non-profit organization that works to stop animal abuse, used an undercover freelance investigator to uncover "malicious cruelty to calves and cows" at the Conklin Dairy Farm in Plain City, Ohio, advocates said.

The video showed workers punching calves in the head and face, throwing them around by their ears, stabbing cows with pitch forks, and twisting their tails until they break.

"This video shocked me," said Eddie Garza with Mercy for Animals. "I've seen hundreds of videos, but this one is especially hard."

Mercy for Animals used legal means to get their undercover investigator a job at the farm, Garza said. The investigation lasted four weeks, and the video was shot in April and May 2010.

"This was not a whistleblower case. This was not an insider tip. We selected the farm at random," said Garza.

The video prompted a news conference just three days after the investigation ended, and Mercy for Animals met with prosecutors in Marysville, Ohio on May 24 to give them the video.

"We are asking that the abusers be prosecuted and that farm be shut down," Garza said.

In response to the allegations, Conklin Farms released this statement:

"As fourth-generation farmers, our family takes the care of our cows and calves very seriously. We take equally seriously the allegations that have been made about our farm operation and the mistreatment of our animals."

"We have conducted an initial review of the video that the activist group has released. The video shows animal care that is clearly inconsistent with the high standards we set for our farm and it's workers, and we find the specific mistreatment shown on the video to be reprehensible and unacceptable."

"We will not condone animal abuse on our farm. We have launched our own internal investigation into this matter and will be conducting interviews with everyone on our farm who works with our animals. We already have terminated the worker involved who was seen to have willfully abused our cows and calves."

"We are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities overseeing this situation. Further, our farm will institute immediate retraining of all those who remain on the farm and who work with our animals."

"The trust of our customers in the way we operate our farm, care for our herds and produce quality, safe milk is of critical importance to us, and we will work to maintain that trust as we address this issue."

One of the workers shown in the video, Billy Joe Gregg, Jr., 25, has since been charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals. He will be arraigned May 27. Each count of cruelty to animals has a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $750 fine.