~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Animal cruelty charges laid against Chilliwack Cattle Sales. Seven employees also charged for "permitting animals to be, or continue to be, in distress"
The video showed employees “using chains, canes, rakes, their booted feet and their fists to viciously whip, punch, kick and beat dairy cows, including downed and trapped cows who could not escape the abuse,” SPCA chief enforcement officer Marcie Moriarty said in a release.
- Workers viciously kicking, punching, beating, and hitting cows in the face and body with chains, canes, metal pipes, and rakes.
- Workers using chains and tractors to lift sick and injured cows by their necks
- Workers poking and squeezing festering wounds, ripping clumps of hair out of cows' sensitive tails, and punching bulls in the testicles
CBC NEWS - The B.C. SPCA says 20 counts of animal cruelty have been laid against Chilliwack Cattle Sales, one of Canada's largest dairy farms, and seven of its employees.
Allegations of cruelty first surfaced in June 2014 when the non-profit group Mercy for Animals Canada released a video shot by a former employee of the farm showing dairy cows being whipped and beaten with chains and canes, as well as punched and kicked.
"We immediately launched an investigation into the case and recommended charges against the employees identified in the video and the company," said Marcie Moriarty, the BC SPCA's chief prevention and enforcement officer.
TOOK TOO LONG FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE. The Criminal Justice Branch said the charge assessment process took as long as it did because of the number of people accused, the complexity in assessing the evidence, and the nature of the initial investigation.
Soon after the allegations surfaced, B.C. adopted the national code of practice for the care and handling of dairy cattle. Penalties are now in place for anyone convicted of causing distress to an animal. The maximum penalty is $75,000 and up to 24 months imprisonment.
Maximum sentences for each count under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCAA) is a fine of up to $75,000, up to two years in jail and a possible lifetime ban on owning animals. Employees charged under the Wildlife Act, could face on a first conviction, a fine of up to $100,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.
The Crown says 16 of the 20 charges are under the PCAA for various acts of cruelty against the farm's dairy cows, while four of the counts are under the Wildlife Act for "molesting a pigeon."
Company employees Travis Keefer, Jonathan Talbot, Jamie Visser, Chris Vandyke, Cody Larson, and Brad Genereux, and Lloyd Blackwell are facing various charges, including causing distress to an animal and failing to care and protect an animal from distress.
 |
| CO-OWNER JEFF KOOYMAN Claims he did not know anything |
Jeff Kooyman, who co-owns the farm with his siblings, had previously stated he and his family were devastated by the accusations and he had no idea such cruelty was happening on his property. The accused are scheduled to appear in court on April 12.
SOURCES
http://canadadairy.mercyforanimals.org/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/animal-cruelty-charges-dairy-farm-1.3471842
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/undercover-video-at-chilliwack-cattle-farm-leads-to-cruelty-charges-1.2799938
VISIT MERCY FOR ANIMALS WEBSITE
and consider becoming a vegetarian
**************************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are always appreciated, but please do not include links.