Compassion Over Killing recently released a new undercover video revealing heartbreaking and abusive handling of newborn calves at the Quanah Cattle Co. in Kersey, Colorado. The video shows workers dragging very young, still unsteady calves by their legs on and off trucks, pulling them by their ears, lifting them off the ground by their tails, kicking them, throwing them, slamming them down, and flipping them. See it happen for yourself in COK's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_GXqIS9ieE#t=123
The video was the result of 3 months of undercover work by a COK investigator named Taylor Radig. Three workers at the Quanah Cattle Co. now face charges because of her work.
Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, a week after charging the workers shown in the video, the Weld County Sheriff's Office decided to charge Ms. Radig with cruelty, too. The stated reason? She didn't turn over her video footage to authorities until 2 months after it was filmed. However, no requirement of Colorado law required her to do so.
Please sign this petition asking Weld County Sheriff John Cooke to drop the charges against Taylor Radig. No one should be penalized for providing evidence of animal cruelty to law enforcement officials.
Dear Sheriff Cooke:
Those who have signed this petition, like many other members of the public, were distressed and saddened to see the recently released video from Compassion Over Killing. The video documented heartbreaking animal cruelty inflicted upon young calves at the Quanah Cattle Co. of Kersey, Colo.
While we applaud the fact that your office has brought charges against three workers shown in the video, we do not understand why you have also charged Taylor Radig, the undercover investigator who shot the footage. We are not aware of any Colorado law that requires a whistleblower to provide incriminating video footage to law enforcement authorities within any particular time frame.
Ms Radig and Compassion Over Killing turned the footage over to you for your action, but this response is, in our view, not appropriate. How will others with incriminating evidence now know if they've waited "too long" to bring it forward?
Please reconsider this position and drop all charges against Ms. Radig. Pursue the animal abusers, not the investigators and the whistleblowers.
We thank you for giving this matter the attention it deserves.
