Footage shows Central Valley dairy workers kicking young calves, pulling them with pliers
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In late February, animal rights activists flew a drone over a calf ranch in the Central Valley and watched as workers kicked and punched the animals.Footage reviewed by The Times shows a worker pulling a calf by the nose with pliers.
It shows two workers removing the budding horns of a calf with a hot iron.While one held the frightened animal’s head, the other — wearing a sweatshirt with an image of the Virgin Mary — applied the iron to a horn.
After a puff of smoke, the calf fell to its side, appearing motionless.Both male and female calves produce horns.
To prevent injury to the animals and their handlers, these are commonly removed.Humane guidelines require the use of anesthesia.
The footage was collected by the group Direct Action Everywhere, known for tactics including releasing beagles from medical breeding facilities and abused calves from farms.It was shot at the Agresti Calf Ranch in Ceres, near Modesto, which is certified by the American Humane Society for its ethical treatment of animals.
The workers could not be reached for comment.One was subsequently terminated, the Humane Society said.The Agresti Calf Ranch is operated by the owners of Double D Dairy, just up the road.
Double D Dairy owns more than than 10,000 cows across several operations.The owner of Double D, Dominic Assali, declined to answer questions in person.
A phone number for the dairy online is disconnected.In response to an email to his personal account, Assali said, “Animal welfare and safety are incredibly important to us, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any mistreatment.
“We’ll always take immediate, thorough action to address any operational issues, as we have in this instance,” the email said.The American Humane Society is a 150-year-old nonprofit focused on animal welfare.Among other things, it certifies animal safety on farms as well as on movie sets.
In a statement...