Dairy product producer Saputo Inc. (TSX:SAP) will no longer be accepting milk from Chilliwack Cattle Sales in response to a shocking video that surfaced earlier this month showing vicious animal cruelty by eight employees of the Fraser Valley company.
Saputo, the largest milk processor in Canada, also said it is going to use its clout to push for strict reforms to ensure this cruelty doesn’t happen in the future. The company said it is throwing its support behind the BC SPCA’s recommendation that the Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle be adopted into law.
“We always strive to do the right thing and our stewardship of the public's trust in our industry is something we take very seriously,” Saputo said in a release.
“The abuse brought to light in this case should be viewed as a catalyst for change to ensure the proper treatment of dairy cattle through appropriate, enforceable and legal measures including severe penalties for offenders.”
The video shows the workers in the act of brutally kicking beating cows, as well as cows being lifted by chains wrapped around their necks, among other acts of animal cruelty.
Saputo does not own or operate any dairy farms in British Columbia. Its brands include Dairyland, Armstrong, Neilson, Milk2Go.
