Farm Sanctuary Investigation Shows Sad Truth About California’s “Happy Cows”

A Farm Sanctuary investigation has unearthed the reality of life on California’s industrialized dairy farms. Far from experiencing the happy existence marketers of California’s dairy products would like the public to believe, dairy cows live in filth on industrialized farms, where their basic needs are routinely ignored and their bodies are exploited for profit.

Farm Sanctuary has produced a video culled from footage taken during the investigation. Behind the Mustache: Farm Sanctuary Investigates the Dairy Industry provides documentation of the treatment of both milk-producing cows and their offspring, many of whom are hauled off to slaughter shortly after being born. The heartbreaking separation of one mother from her baby is shown in detail, as she chases the dairy farm worker who grabs her newborn, still wet from birth, by the back legs and drags him through the manure-caked pen.

More than 21 percent of the nation’s dairy supply comes from California, and, according to the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture 2005 statistics, California is home to nearly 1.8 million milk-producing cows. The vast majority of these animals reside on intensive dairy farms, where, as our investigation shows, living conditions are abysmal.

Please take the time to view this video and send along to your friends, family and colleagues.  If you haven’t already, please consider dairy alternatives. After all, a compassionate world begins with you!