Whistleblower: Workers at Braum’s Dairy Farm Twisted and Broke Cows’ Tails, Left Them to Suffer with Bloody Wounds; PETA Urges Criminal Investigation

For Immediate Release:
November 4, 2025

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

A whistleblower has reported to PETA that workers at Braum’s Dairy Farm outside Tuttle left cows suffering from pinkeye for so long that some of the animals’ eyes looked close to “pop[ping] out,” denied veterinary care to cows with ruptured abscesses that had pus “pouring out,” and even continued milking cows who had blood coming out of their teats. In response, PETA today sent a letter to Grady County Sheriff Gary Boggess, urging a criminal investigation into apparent violations of Oklahoma’s cruelty-to-animals law. Photos from the whistleblower are available here.

According to the whistleblower, a supervisor said not to send cows with ruptured abscesses to the “hospital pen” for treatment—and even refused treatment for a cow with blood “pouring” out of her udder. Other allegations include:

• Workers slapped cows, pushed them in the face, and twisted their tails so violently they sometimes broke them.
• Some cows who suffered broken tails after workers twisted them were not treated, and their injured tails became infected.
• Cows with pneumonia were not treated promptly. Some became severely dehydrated, and some foamed at the mouth, breathed heavily, or had their tongues protruding.

“According to an insider, Braum’s Dairy Farm is a house of horror for cows, where workers slapped them, broke their tails, and milked them even as they bled from open wounds,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling for an immediate investigation, and we urge everyone to spare cows from suffering on factory farms by going vegan.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness and free vegan starter kits for anyone thinking of making the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Boggess follows.

November 4, 2025

To: The Honorable Gary Boggess, Sheriff of Grady County

From: Colin Henstock, Associate Director of Project Strategy, PETA

Dear Sheriff Boggess:

Your attention is urgently requested. This letter concerns a report submitted to PETA’s headquarters by an eyewitness to the alleged abuse and neglect of cows at Braum’s Dairy Farm, located at 491 County St. 2880, Tuttle, OK 73089. We have been told the following:

• Workers slapped cows, including with their hands or leather gloves, pushed them in the face, and twisted their tails, sometimes breaking them. Some cows with broken tails were not treated, and the injured tails became infected.
• Many cows had untreated, ruptured abscesses with pus “pouring out,” likely as a result of being “poked” by workers. A supervisor said not to send them to the “hospital pen” for treatment and once said not to send a cow who had blood pouring out of her udder to the “hospital pen.”
• Workers continued to milk cows suffering from untreated mastitis, some of whom declined to the point that blood would come out of their teats.
• Many cows had pinkeye. Some animals’ eyes were so infected that the cows appeared to be blind, and some eyes appeared to be on the verge of “pop[ping] out.”
• Cows with pneumonia were not treated promptly. Some became severely dehydrated, and some foamed at the mouth, breathed heavily, or had protruding tongues.

The eyewitness is willing to speak with your agency. Please let me know if you or a designated staff member would like their contact information.

These allegations, if true, could constitute violations of 21 OK Stat § 1685, which prohibits cruelly beating or injuring an animal and depriving an animal of veterinary care to prevent suffering. We respectfully ask that your agency—accompanied by an independent bovine veterinarian—carry out an unannounced inspection of this facility, ensure that any injured animals are provided with necessary veterinary care or euthanasia, and file all appropriate charges if the allegations are verified. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Colin Henstock Associate Director of Project Strategy