Update: The bank claimed ownership of the bankrupt couple's property and wanted to sell the cows to slaughter. But the original whistleblower stepped in and saved the cows' lives, this time tenaciously pursuing a deal with the bank to allow her to assume all responsibility for the animals' care. Now the cows will live out their days in peace and safety, never to be harmed for milk or meat. The cows' original owners still face cruelty-to-animals charges. 

Originally posted on March 6th:

Many people are still laboring under the illusion that animals are somehow treated better on farms that label their products "organic," but a recent cruelty case that PETA was involved with shows that animals on organic farms often fare no better than those on non-organic farms.

A whistleblower alerted PETA to a dairy farm where hundreds of cows were starving and two or three were dying every week. The whistleblower had tried to get the owners of the farm to feed the cows, but the owners were bankrupt, and with no money to feed the animals, they had simply left them to die.

This cow was too weak to stand.

We contacted local law-enforcement officials and, with the help of the district attorney, got state veterinarians to go out to the farm. The vets confirmed that this was indeed a case of cruelty and neglect, and police arrested the owners and charged them with cruelty to animals. The owners were later released on the grounds that they had to do whatever it took to care for the cows or they would face felony charges. Some people in the community have donated food, and the owners are juggling their finances to make food for the cows a priority. PETA has confirmed that the cows' health is improving.

While these animals are doing better, across the country, cows are still suffering on organic dairy farms. Often crowded into cramped sheds or onto mud-filled lots, cows are repeatedly impregnated and have their babies taken away so that people can drink the milk that nature intended for calves. Don't let your friends and family be fooled—"organic" does not mean "humane."

Last week, PETA Germany released the findings of its undercover investigation of three "free-range" egg farms. What the group found was pretty much the same kind of horror story that we've had in the U.S. and the U.K.: Far from the idyllic barnyards that people might associate with "humanely raised" or "free-range" eggs, the investigators for PETA Germany found thousands of hens confined to filthy, windowless sheds, just as chickens on "ordinary" factory farms are. The investigators videotaped dead and dying chickens among the living. Many birds were crawling with parasites, were missing most of their feathers, and had large sores all over their bodies, some of which oozed pus. In Germany, eggs labeled "bio " (organic and "humane") are supposed to come from chickens with access to the outdoors, but PETA Germany's investigators showed that the birds' access to the outdoors was often impeded or blocked, sometimes by live electrical wires!

On one farm, the investigators found exposed 15,000-volt electrical wiring that was shooting sparks. The hot wiring effectively confined birds to one section of the barn. In February, a neighboring barn with similar defective wiring burned down, killing 19,000 birds.

In 2010, PETA Germany caught another farm violating Germany's "bio" seal. The farmer now produces "free-range" eggs—the standards for which are less strict than those for the "bio" seal —but PETA Germany's most recent investigation documented apparent violations of those standards as well. The farmer has failed to provide the more than 9,000 chickens confined to his barns with minimum required space.

The 'Free-Range' Scam

"Free-range," "humanely raised," and "certified" labels in the U.S. can also be deceptive. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that "free-range" animals have access to outdoor areas, but the birds don't actually have to go outside, and some are too afraid to or are barred by impediments. United Egg Producers uses a label that reads, "United Egg Producers Certified," but this program is not regulated or enforced, and investigations have shown that companies using this label often do not treat chickens any differently than conventional factory farms do.

In fact, most "free-range" hens live in the same miserable, filthy factory farm conditions that "broiler" chickens (raised for their flesh) do. And like other factory-farmed hens, free-range hens are killed when their egg production begins to wane, at about 2 years of age.

Want to help hens? Stop eating eggs altogether. It's not hard. Just opt for egg replacers in baked goods and whip up some tasty, heart-healthy scrambled tofu for breakfast. For more hen-friendly cooking ideas, visit PETA.org/Living.

An organic beef producer is recalling more than 34,000 pounds of ground beef after finding E. coli bacteria in its facilities. E. coli can cause dehydration, anemia, kidney failure, and even death.

Many consumers don't realize that animals on organic farms may be forced to endure the same crowded, filthy conditions as animals on typical factory farms. Because of these conditions and the fact that organic farmers avoid using antibiotics, organically raised animals can harbor even more bacteria than animals who are drugged. See PETA's factsheet for more on the myths surrounding organic and free-range farms.

m-j-h/CC by 2.0

Written by Michelle Sherrow