RSPCA slams violent assaults on cows at Cathedral City cheese farms | EUROtoday

The RSPCA has condemned as “completely unacceptable” the best way males at two dairy farms supplying milk for Cathedral City cheese violently attacked cows.

An animal-rights filmmaker secretly filmed staff jabbing animals with sharp objects, hitting them with metallic brooms, punching, slapping and kicking them, and twisting their tails.

The firm that produces Cathedral City cheese warned its dairy farmers to be careful for strangers on their property and to not speak to them after studying that the filming had taken place.

In some situations males had been seen hitting cows with plastic pipes – and twice they had been seen inserting rods into animals’ rectums to make them stand.

Activists claimed the cows had been managed with “force and fear”.

The authorities and county council say animal-welfare officers are investigating the farms in Cornwall, and one was suspended after secret recordings had been revealed.

On seeing the footage, Dairy Crest Limited, buying and selling as Saputo Dairy UK, one of many UK’s greatest dairy producers, suspended Polshea Farm in Bodmin as a provider for 2 weeks.

An organization spokesperson stated: “We care deeply about the way the milk we source is produced and do not condone any act of animal cruelty. The footage shared is disturbing and offends the values of our customers, consumers, and employees alike.”

The Red Tractor farming assurance scheme stated it additionally suspended Polshea Farm.

Saputo’s web site guarantees zero tolerance of cruelty, and after seeing the footage anger-management coaching and CCTV had been launched.

Filmmaker and animal-rights activist Joey Carbstrong stated he carried out investigations in April this yr at Polshea Farm, a mega-dairy, after he obtained footage from activists taken in 2022 exhibiting staff slapping, punching, kicking and stabbing cows with sharp implements. One animal was punched within the face and crushed after changing into trapped in a milking carousel in “a frenzied assault”.

The cow was additionally chased and “terrified”, the video exhibits, whereas others had been hit with iron bars.

Jenny L Mace, an affiliate lecturer in animal welfare on the University of Winchester, counted 64 circumstances within the footage that she claimed had been unlawful.

The footage from this yr exhibits violence together with cows apparently too ailing or exhausted to face being slapped and kicked to drive them to their toes, and calves being dragged away by their legs, usually at delivery.

An injured cow was lifted by tractor fork and a pointy instrument was dug right into a cow’s again and facet, the footage allegedly exhibits. Farm arms shouted angrily at animals to attempt to frighten them into transferring.

Mr Carbstrong stated he noticed two lifeless animals left exterior to decompose.

At Trevear Farm in Penzance in 2022, 40 circumstances of alleged unlawful behaviour had been recorded, together with slapping, kicking and punching cows, typically with pipes, and plastic pipes additionally utilized in cows’ rectums.

Mr Carbstrong stated: “One of our farm vets said Saputo had sent an email warning to their farms and suppliers telling them not to talk to strangers and to be more vigilant following the exposure. ‘Be more vigilant’ – that’s a weird thing to say to farms who are sending you milk. Wouldn’t you say stop abusing cows?

“And this individual [the vet] said farmers should be fine talking to strangers if they’re not doing anything illegal.”

An RSPCA spokesperson stated: “The footage from these farms shows shocking behaviour towards animals; where staff are seen kicking, hitting, prodding and shoving cows, sometimes with gates, poles and vehicles, including those seemingly unable to stand.

“This will have caused significant distress and pain to the cows, and is completely unacceptable behaviour towards any animal.”

Both farms provide milk to Saputo Dairy UK, which produces Cathedral City cheese, and Clover and Country Life spreads. The Penzance Trevear Farm has no connection to Trevear farm in Wadebridge.

Mr Carbstrong stated: “Whether a smaller local facility like Trevear Farm in Penzance, or a larger intensive dairy like Polshea, the reality is the same: terrified cows were beaten, tormented and abused.

“Disturbingly, we documented workers on both farms violating cows by forcing objects into their rectums – one was injured or unable to stand.”

A Saputo spokesperson added: “All supplying farms must adhere to our animal welfare policy and farm standards. In addition to industry audits, we conduct our own regular audits and make sure to investigate any credible allegation of animal cruelty.”

The spokesperson stated: “The farm owners in question have taken responsibility for their actions and have been cooperating fully.”

Saputo had resumed taking provides from Polshea farm as a result of it had addressed all of the pressing points, they stated. “These actions include professional anger and stress-management support, animal-handling training for all staff, the designation of a full-time staff member dedicated to the safety and care of the animals and staff on site, the utilisation of appropriate animal moving devices and the installation of CCTV.”

They added that there would even be follow-up audits by consultants.

Meanwhile, the corporate was investigating the 2022 footage from Trevear Farm in Penzance, they stated.

A Red Tractor spokesperson stated: “We take the welfare of animals on Red Tractor assured farms extremely seriously. We’re investigating the farms shown in this footage and have suspended Polshea Farm’s Red Tractor certification.”

The RSPCA doesn’t have statutory powers to enter non-public property and passes farm-animal cruelty investigations to the federal government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency. The charity urged individuals to report complaints about commercially farmed animals to the company.

An company spokesperson stated: “We take breaches of animal welfare legislation very seriously and will always take action where we find this. We are investigating these cases.”

Cornwall council informed Mr Carbstrong that an animal-health inspector and an APHA vet visited Trevear Farm unannounced days after receiving the footage and located nothing unlawful throughout their go to.

A Cornwall council spokeswoman stated: “On October 8, 2025, Cornwall Council received footage that was allegedly filmed at Trevear and Polshea Farms. Inspectors from our animal health team have visited both farms. Our enquiries remain ongoing.”

Both farms had been requested to remark however didn’t reply.

Mr Carbstrong claimed the dairy business within the UK leaves animals prone to abuse.

“From the milk in people’s tea to the cheese on their pizzas, the products of this system reach almost every household in the country,” he stated.