Sheriff: Undercover video shows dairy workers hitting cows

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Police in Florida arrested three dairy farm employees on animal cruelty charges following the release of an undercover video by an animal rights group showing workers abusing cows.

Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel Stephen said three McArthur Dairy workers were arrested Wednesday, The Palm Beach Post reported.

The video by Animal Recovery Mission showed workers striking cows in the face and udders with plastic pipes, Stephen said. Three other dairies also are being investigated, he said.

Jamaison Schuler of Dean Foods, which owns the McArthur Dairy brand, said in a statement the company doesn’t own or control any dairy farms, though milk from McArthur Dairy is part of its supply.

Schuler said the company was “appalled at the behaviors shown in the video.”

Publix supermarkets suspended milk deliveries from the dairy.

Richard Couto, founder of the Miami Beach-based animal rights group, has said its members began working at dairies in Florida this past summer to get an overview of how the animals were being treated in the industry – not because of specific reports of mistreatment. But he said they found evidence of mistreatment almost immediately.