When I was working at Martin Farms as an undercover investigator for Animal Outlook, witnessing gentle mother cows being beaten and abused, I told myself over and over: I can do this. I can bear witness; it will all be worth it in the end. It will all be worth it because their stories will be told to thousands of people, and the cruel, heinous acts they endured will be punished justly in a court of law.
I can’t accurately describe the anger I felt when I saw the results of months of waiting for charges to be filed in a case where I witnessed a manager shoot a cow in the head unsuccessfully — then casually reload while she sadly writhed in agony — before finally shooting her again to end her misery.
My heart dropped when I saw the decision last week from the Pennsylvania State Police and District Attorney: No cruelty charges filed.
After I listened to the bellows of calves being dehorned with a hot iron burned into their skulls after being torn from their mothers’ sides, after I saw a manager shackle a cow by her ankles and hang her upside down from a tractor as he stabbed a long metal rod into her stomach, after I saw sick cows being dragged by their hips with hip clamps attached to tractors...after all the torture I witnessed innocent cows go through so that corporations can turn a profit...the people with the power to prosecute these acts looked at everything I captured on hidden camera and somehow did not see cruelty.
I’m shocked, speechless, and saddened. Cruelty like what I witnessed on Martin Farms happens on factory farms across the country, yet all too often this violence to billions of cows, pigs, and chickens is kept hidden, overlooked, and in this case, swept under the rug by law enforcement when it’s exposed to the world.
But I’m not stopping — and neither should you.
I didn’t endure this experience to back down now. I — and Animal Outlook — will keep standing up for cows and all farmed animals. Please support our fight for truth and justice.
Our shared mission to disrupt Big Ag and inspire compassion is crucial now more than ever. And given these difficult times, your support has never been more vital to our ability to keep moving forward with our important work.
Right now, and all month long, your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar.Let’s not let this opportunity to sustain our efforts and change the world pass us by.
I know you share my outrage at the injustice of law enforcement’s decision, but we won't be discouraged--or stopped. Thank you for always standing beside me.
As a non-profit organization, Animal Outlook relies on donations from caring, generous people like you. Every dollar matters. Your support makes a world of difference to farmed animals.
