“These are not sacks of potatoes, they are living breathing sentient animals; babies who feel pain! I am shocked & disgusted at the cruelty & callousness of the workers; I am so pleased they have been charged with animal abuse & fired from their jobs. However, I fear those who take over their positions may treat the babies in exactly the same manner! Please sign the petition below to withdraw charges against the whistle-blower; whom I have so much admiration for!! What normal feeling person could watch this horrific abuse & keep quiet about it??”

In 2013, a COK undercover investigator worked inside Quanah Cattle Co. (QCC), an animal agribusiness company in Kersey, Colorado that purchases newborn calves from surrounding dairy factories and temporarily confines them before shipping them out to be raised for their meat.

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Just days old, many of these calves – some of whom still have their umbilical cords hanging from their bodies – are too feeble or frightened to walk steadily.  As our footage shows, in the process of being moved on and off trucks, these fragile animals are violently dragged by their legs, pulled by their ears, lifted by their tails, kicked, thrown, slammed, and flipped.

Animal handling expert Dr. Temple Grandin of Colorado State University decried the cruelty seen in our video, calling it “severe abuse” and “not acceptable” while further noting that “If this facility had been a slaughter plant, the USDA would have shut them down.”

The cruelty to calves uncovered in this investigation was so shocking and violent that COK turned evidence over to local authorities, and we are now working with them on this case.

The Dairy Industry:  Most of the dairy calves purchased by QCC are male – they’re considered unwanted industry byproducts since they’re unable to produce milk. After being trucked in and unloaded at QCC, they’ll be confined in crates or hutches for around a week and then loaded back on trucks to be shipped out, sold, and raised for their meat. Marketed as veal or beef, depending on their age when slaughtered, these young animals are the often forgotten victims of the dairy industry. Read more.

Important Update: On Nov. 20, 2013, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office retaliated against the courageous whistleblower who uncovered and reported the callous abuse of newborn calves – they’re alleging that she broke the law.  What is her alleged “crime”? Witnessing and reporting animal abuse – in other words, she’s being punished for telling the truth about the cruelty that happened at Quanah.  Watch this report on Fox-31 in Denver.

Let’s be clear:  Witnessing – and exposing – animal abuse is not a crime!

Here’s what happened: After meticulously and extensively researching the law and reviewing all of the damning evidence of routine animal cruelty at Quanah, we presented a strong case to authorities revealing illegal activities that would have otherwise continued unabated. This evidence led to charges being brought against three employees who participated in the violence against calves – violence that includes dragging these young animals by their ears and legs as well as lifting them by their tails.

If COK’s investigator hadn’t blown the whistle, these abuses would likely still be occurring right now. 

The charge against our investigator is unsupported by the law, and it reeks of political motivation fueled by an agribusiness industry that continues to lash out in desperation aiming to stop undercover investigators from exposing the truth.

Please donate now to help fight this baseless accusation and to show your support for all of our brave undercover investigators who expose animal cruelty.

Be sure to also share this powerful whistleblower video – it uncovers exactly what the industry doesn’t want Americans to see: the truth.

The suffering endured by animals behind the closed doors of the meat, egg, and dairy industries is too immense for us to be deterred by this transparent attempt to silence us. With you at our side, we will continue to shine a bright light on hidden horrors of animal agribusiness.

Nov. 15 Case Updates: The Weld County Sheriff’s Office filed criminal charges of cruelty to animals against three alleged animal abusers at Quanah Cattle Co.. The company also announced that it has fired the three individuals who our undercover investigator caught on film mistreating these animals.

News Link:–http://www.cok.net/inv/quanah/#

Compassion Over Killing:-

Working to end animal abuse since 1995, Compassion Over Killing exposes cruelty to farmed animals and promotes vegetarian eating as a way to build a kinder world.

Petition by Abby Spiwak Denver, CO

I live in Colorado, and I recently heard about Taylor Radig who was working as an undercover investigator to document cruelty at Quanah Cattle Company. She filmed calves being thrown and kicked around and dragged by their ears, tails, and legs.

Because of her bravery, 3 workers were charged with animal cruelty on November 15. But a week later, Taylor was also charged with animal cruelty!

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Respected animal welfare expert Dr. Temple Grandin of Colorado State University saw this footage and used terms like “rough,” “not acceptable,” and “severe abuse” to describe what was going on. So why is the woman who blew the whistle on this cruelty herself being charged with animal cruelty? It makes no sense. Witnessing and reporting animal abuse is not a crime.

The group Taylor was trying to help is called Compassion Over Killing. Does anyone actually think it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars and the time of our public officials to treat Taylor like a criminal who committed an act of animal cruelty? Does anyone think she had anything but kindness in her heart when she set out to document these cruel acts?

Please sign my petition asking Colorado officials including District Attorney Ken Buck to drop the animal cruelty charge against Taylor.

Petition link:–http://www.change.org/petitions/drop-animal-cruelty-charge-against-undercover-investigator-in-colorado