Wisconsin has enormous cattle farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations, mostly dairy. The environmental damage and suffering to the animals is staggering. Animal rights activists recently videoed particularly brutal activities on one farm, including workers whipping the cows and dragging them by the legs and necks.
However, deliberate viciousness is just part of the problem. These intensive farming operations are by their very nature cruel, involving as they do thousands of animals packed into the least amount of space and treated as factory units rather than living creatures. The vast amount of animal waste produced also contributes to pollution and groundwater contamination.
Tell Wisconsin to get its act together and ensure that cattle suffering is minimized.
We the undersigned ask that you take action on the abuse of cattle in Wisconsin’s CAFOs. This should involve regular spot inspections of all farms to ensure welfare and health standards are as high as they possibly can be and that no deliberate abuse is taking place. The responsibility for this vital task should not rest with animal rights groups.
We also request that you encourage smaller, higher welfare operations, whether through financial incentives or other means. These mammoth dairy farms might be profitable but they are not good for the environment, local people or, of course, the cows themselves. Eventually, we would like to see much stricter regulation on the size and management of such farms.
We understand the dairy and beef industries form a key part of Wisconsin’s economy. All the more reason, therefore, that they should be run in an ethical and responsible manner.
Thank you for your attention.
