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Stop Animal Abuse at Threemile Canyon Farms

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A report prepared by the Humane Farming Association (HFA)
documents cruel and inhumane treatment of cows at Threemile
Canyon Farms in Boardman, Ore., including statements from
workers. Months ago, HFA filed a formal petition with Oregon
Attorney General Hardy Myers formally demanding criminal charges
be brought against Threemile Canyon Farms for animal abuse. Yet
in spite of extensive documentation, Myers has yet to take
action. The extensive report documents widespread animal abuse.

The report documents how some of the male calves are separated
from their mothers at birth and left to starve to death. A
worker reports, "Supervisors usually shoot unwanted male calves.
They don't die right away. Some lie on the floor and bleed out.
Some have lied for three hours and are still alive." The dairy
reportedly also kills calves by bashing their heads in or by
swinging the calf by its hind legs and pounding its head against
the concrete floor.

The report also documents how workers are told to slice off a
section of a cow's teat without anesthetizing the animal. The
cows' teats are susceptible to infection due to the concrete
floors being covered with manure, urine and standing flush
water. To make matters worse, workers report the massive farm
continues to milk cows with infected teats, something workers
first reported in a February 2005 article in the Portland
Oregonian newspaper. One worker says "the blood and pus draining
from the teat will go into the milk when the cow is milked."
Another worker states, "The boss tells us to milk the cows even
if they know the milk is bad. The milk will look like pieces of
cheese."

Yet in spite of worker statements, pictures and even video that
the Humane Farming Association provided to Attorney General
Myers, he has yet to take action to stop abuse at Threemile. The
fact the state of Oregon previously provided $20 million to
Threemile makes the state's inaction even more outrageous.

The abuse has to stop now. Please join the United Farm Workers
in supporting the Humane Farming Association's call to stop the
cruelty at Threemile by demanding the Oregon attorney general
initiate criminal charges against Threemile.
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