An undercover investigation by an animal advocacy group has prompted authorities in Hart, Texas to investigate E6 Cattle Company for animal cruelty. The video footage shot secretly at the Texas farm shows workers beating calves in their skulls with pickaxes and hammers; beaten calves that were still alive and conscious being thrown onto piles of dead calves; E6 employees kicking calves in the head or standing on their necks and ribs; calves stuck in tiny boxes lined with manure and urine; horns burned in calves' skulls without the use of painkillers; open sores, swollen joints, and severed hooves. At least that is what one news site described was on the video I literally could not watch the video past the 10 second mark. This video is not for minors actually it isn't suitable for adults either. It is horrific which is why is was taken down by You Tube originally. The video is now back up with a warning about its graphic nature.
According to the manager of the operation he was not providing proper oversight of his workers and was unaware of what was taking place on a daily basis. He said that the calves in this video were sick from frostbite due to weather issues though how they were allowed to get frostbite and why no measures were in place to keep them warm was not revealed. He was aware they were sick and had to be euthanized he claims he was unaware they were being tortured. He has accepted full responsibility for what took place on his farm. The manager is working with investigators and authorities. The 3 men responsible for the acts shown in this video along with the advocacy group's camera man had been fired by the manager before the video was released. Authorities believe the 3 men responsible for the torture have fled the country.
Cattle Farmers across the US have had to defend their practices saying they would never treat their animals this way. They feel that the manager of the farm let the entire farming community down and has put everyone no matter how big or small their farm at risk of loosing their livelihood as thepriceof cattle have taken a negative turn on the open market. They believe 100% that the owner of the farm and his workers should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law as there is no tolerance for the abuse of animals in their industry.
"Blunt force is specifically prohibited as a means of euthanasia by American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association. The euthanasia methods in this video violate these standards. The industry has programs in place to train farmers, ranchers, and their workers on the proper care of their animals.
Colorado State University Professor of Animal Sciences Dr. Bernard Rollin also condemned the operation: "I urge everyone in a position of authority to serve notice to the world that this sort of behavior has no place in a society wishing to consider itself civilized. These people must be corrected with the full force of the legal system."
Dr. Armaiti May, a practicing veterinarian experienced in the care of farmed animals, echoed Dr. Rollin's sentiment, recommending that "charges of animal cruelty be brought against the workers involved and that the farm be shut down for cruel treatment of animals and lack of proper oversight of its workers."
The group who spent two weeks putting together footage for this video did not report the activity they were recording to stop the suffering, but rather gathered several days of material to prepare their video released this week. This seems at odds with their mission "non-human animals are irreplaceable individuals with morally significant interests and hence rights." Instead of alerting authorities they instead wanted to put together a video and press release that would shame the entire cattle industry and make headlines. I just don't know who anyone who respects animals could watch these things happen day after day and not go to the authorities.
The following video link contains very graphic detail content of animals being tortured and is not suitable for minors or those who love animals.
http://youtu.be/Ki57eFs7XFo
For more information you can visit the following links:
http://www.kcbd.com/story/14486173/video-calf-yard-owner-responds-to-cruelty-allegations
http://www.webpronews.com/has-youtube-had-a-change-of-heart-on-this-animal-cruelty-video-ban-2011-05
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2011/apr/20/mercy-for-animals-cruelty-e6-cattle-hart/