Young calves pushed, shocked with electric prods, hit and dragged up a metal ramp to be slaughtered... Some, too ill to stand, are thrown into the slaughter chute. This shocking footage, provided to Animals Australia by an anonymous source, was taken on different occasions over the past 18 months at an abattoir in Northern Victoria.

Upon receiving the footage, Animals Australia lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Primary Industries for breaches of Victorian animal cruelty laws and the illegal use of an electric prod on a calf. A formal complaint was also lodged with PrimeSafe for breaches of the Australian Standards governing welfare at abattoirs. Both authorities have conducted inspections and issued orders to the owners to ensure these specific breaches have ceased. The two separate investigations continue.

This exposure of abattoir cruelty, the latest in a string over the past 12 months, further demonstrates the urgent need for constant monitoring by Government veterinary officers and CCTV in all abattoirs. 

These young, vulnerable animals suffered not only because of illegal cruelty — but, crucially, because they were not wanted by the commercial dairy industry. Aside from rough handling and cruel use of electric prods, it is clear from their weakened state that these calves had been deprived of food — which is currently legal for the last 30 hours of bobby calves' short lives. They were disposed of as waste products — which happens to hundreds of thousands of Australian bobby calves every calving season, every year.

Disposing of unwanted dairy calves is a universal 'problem' throughout the commercial dairy industry. Dairy cows are impregnated yearly to keep their milk flowing at a high rate. Only some calves are raised to replace their mothers as milking cows. The others — mostly males — are routinely killed as 'waste products'. The industry calls these babies 'bobby calves'. In Australia, over 700,000 bobby calves are killed each year — either by being bashed on the head with a hammer on the farm, or by being trucked to slaughter before they are a week old. By consuming less dairy, and telling dairy companies you are concerned about bobby calves, you can help save them.

Click here to tell Dairy Australia to stop treating baby animals like 'waste products'.

Disposing of unwanted dairy calves is a universal 'problem' throughout the commercial dairy industry. Dairy cows are impregnated yearly to keep their milk flowing at a high rate. Only some calves are raised to replace their mothers as milking cows. The others — mostly males — are routinely killed as 'waste products'. The industry calls these babies 'bobby calves'. In Australia, over 700,000 bobby calves are killed each year — either by being bashed on the head with a hammer on the farm, or by being trucked to slaughter before they are a week old.

Click here to sign the pledge to be dairy-free and choose calcium-rich dairy alternatives that are kind to calves.

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