B.C. Milk Board Resumes Milk Pick-Up at Chilliwack Cattle Sales

Jun 23, 2014

The B.C. milk marketing board says that it will now accept Chilliwack Cattle Sales milk, after an undercover video produced by the animal activist group, Mercy for Animals Canada, at the farm captured footage of alleged animal abuse prompted the milk board to stop delivery until independent audits had been completed.

Milk pickups were ceased following the request of milk processors, including Saputo. The notice was posted on June 17, and up until now milk from the farm in question was being destroyed. According to several news reports, including one from CTV News, the milk was being transported from the farm to Washington State to be incinerated and turned into energy. Milk board members agreed on June 20 that normal milk pick-up and delivery could resume.

Chilliwack Cattle Sales, the largest dairy farm in Canada, following the animal abuse case, has installed cameras to provide 24-hour surveillance. The eight farm workers who were identified in the video were fired and are facing criminal charges. The investigation is being carried out by the B.C. SPCA.

The board identified some corrective action measures relating to the incident:

Oversee the veterinary team asked assigned to the case to provide direction for best dairy animal welfare practices at Chilliwack Cattle Sales
Update regulatory measures in board policies to include mandatory compliance with the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle
The board has invited leading dairy experts to participate in a debrief/ next steps meeting with the goal to develop a plan for dairy animal welfare