Dragged through mud and manure: How cows suffer for dairy
A cow too weak to stand dangles in a sling.
The tractor lifts her hind legs, tilting her forward until her face smashes into the barn floor.
The tractor lurches toward the door, dragging her head through mud and manure.
She moans. No one answers.
The sling rises higher, her back legs swinging helplessly.
Her front legs claw at the ground—managing, for a moment, to lift her head from the dirt.
“…[W]e all have cow for dinner,” a worker sneers as the tractor pulls her into the sunlight.
Her strength fades. Her legs buckle once more. Her face scrapes across the concrete.
For her, this is the end.
But for the workers, it seems this was just another day at Madox Farm.
At this Welsh dairy facility, cows were filmed collapsing under the weight of illness and injury.
We saw it all unfold. We saw the workers strike them with shovels. Punch their faces. Twist their tails.
Kick them in the udders after they’ve just given birth.
Dying animals were left for hours, sometimes days.
One pregnant cow fought through the night and was found dead by morning, her calf still inside her.
As for veterinary care? One manager said it best: ”…[T]he vet charges a lot of money.”
All this suffering, just to cut costs.
Animal Equality’s investigators have filmed similar cruelty on dairy farms worldwide–including the U.S.
The pattern is consistent: abuse, neglect, and suffering lie behind each glass of milk.
That’s why we must act quickly.
Your support could keep our cameras rolling.
It could hold abusers accountable for their crimes.
And it could give silenced animals the voices they deserve.
WILL YOU STEP UP FOR HER?
Her mother’s life was spent in a cage. She will suffer the same fate. But you can change this for millions of animals, currently trapped in factory farms.
Your support makes our investigations, campaigns, and legal work possible .
Only $25/month impacts 1,300 animals in a year.
Millions saw this footage on the BBC.
Outrage spread across the U.K. Many vowed to boycott dairy.
If your blood stirs reading this, trust that instinct.
Pick up a carton of oat or soy milk. Try a dairy-free recipe.
Because with every passing moment, another cow collapses.
And another moment to choose kindness passes us by.
In her memory,
Abigail Penny
U.K. Executive Director for Animal Equality
DEFEND COWS
A cow’s maternal instincts foster a gentle bond with her vulnerable calf.
Preserve this tender relationship by trying plant‑based alternatives to dairy products.
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