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Dairy workers fired after abuse video released Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Eight workers from the Kooyman dairy farm in Chilliwack have been fired in the wake of allegations of animal cruelty. Video footage from the dairy operation spurred SPCA to launch an investigation, and they were at the Chilliwack Cattle Sales farm on Friday. Jeff Kooyman, one of the owners of the family-run farm, told The Progress the family is “devastated and deeply saddened” by what has come to light. The family runs the largest dairy farm in Canada. The video features graphically violent scenes of a man striking a cow and another where a cow was kicked in the head after it got stuck on a milking parlour. “The footage is not pretty. That’s not who we are. We are devastated and deeply saddened to think some of our animals might have been harmed in this way,” Kooyman said. It happened on the night shift at the farm, which is one of three daily milking sessions. “These alleged actions in no way reflect the farming and animal care standards practised by our family or by the dairy industry. “As a farming family we are committed to providing the best care for our animals and have zero tolerance for animal abuse,” said the dairy farmer. He said he could barely watch the video of several scenes over a month. “It was horrifying and we are shocked,” he said. “We consider what we saw totally unacceptable.” The dairy farm on Prairie Central has 3,500 head of cattle and 25 to 30 employees, and it’s run by seven Kooyman sons. BC SPCA officials say that all eight employees involved have been suspended pending the results of the investigation. They have since been fired. “On June 2, the BC SPCA received an undercover video from the non-profit group Mercy for Animals Canada that showed the employees using chains, canes, rakes, their booted feet and their fists to viciously whip, punch, kick and beat the dairy cows, including downed and trapped cows who could not escape Continued: FARM/ p6
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Jeff Kooyman, one of the owners of Chilliwack Cattle Sales, addresses the media Tuesday. He says the animal abuse video was horrifying. “We consider what we saw totally unacceptable.” JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Allegations of cruelty unleash storm of outrage Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Cruelty allegations at a Chilliwack dairy farm have led to a torrent of commentary on the subject of abusive treatment of animals from across the continent. Dairy industry reps say they have been cooperating fully with the BC SPCA investigation. “Within the B.C. dairy industry we have a high level of animal care, and as the representative organization of British Columbian dairy farmers, we wish to express our extreme sadness and concern around this incident,” said Dave Taylor, chair of the BC Dairy Association.
The footage has given the industry a black eye, and officials are shaken. “Organizationally we have a zero tolerance policy around these issues and we feel it vital to assert that this abuse is in no way common practice in our industry,” said Taylor. “We are in complete support of the BC SPCA and will continue to be closely involved in this investigation, assisting in any way necessary.” The group whose member took the footage at the farm at different intervals over a month with a hidden camera is called Mercy for Animals Canada. The images are nothing short
of shocking, they say. The footage is from the Chilliwack Cattle Sales farm, owned by the Kooyman family. The dairy farm supplies milk to Saputo-owned Dairyland. Mercy For Animals Canada is praising BC SPCA this week for “its swift and decisive action” in pursuing charges against eight dairy workers. After reviewing the footage, professors of animal science Drs. Bernard Rollin and William Wailes said in a joint statement: “Never have we seen such outright sadistic pleasure taken by workers in animal suffering, including gratuitous shocking of the cows.” Mercy For Animals Canada is
now calling on Saputo to adopt meaningful animal welfare guidelines, including zero tolerance for kicking, punching, and beating cows; procedures to ensure the proper care and transportation of sick, injured, and downed animals; and a requirement that its suppliers install video monitoring systems that live stream to the Internet to help prevent malicious abuse. “The cows on this dairy factory farm experience nothing but fear, violence, and deprivation at the hands of sadistic animal abusers,” said Twyla Francois, director of investigations for Mercy For Animals Canada. “This investigation Continued: ABUSE/ p6
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