North Yorkshire dairy farm denies campaigner abuse claims
- Published
Goats kept at Pasture House Farm spend "all of their lives inside vast and crowded sheds", AJP campaigners said.
A North Yorkshire dairy farm has denied claims made by an animal rights group that it subjected goats to "violence and neglect".
Animal Justice Project (AJP) said secret filming at Pasture House Farm, near Skipton, showed workers pushing, grabbing and slapping animals.
Activists alleged some goats were left lame and unable to walk properly, possibly due to standards of care.
The farm refuted the claims and said it was "proud" of its welfare standards.
AJP campaigners said they had monitored the farm, which supplies milk to Delamere Dairy, for several months.
The group said it had seen a variety of incidents which included:
Kid goats crying out as their ears were tagged
Piles of dead goats dumped outside
Goats struggling to reach food and water
Animals with overgrown hooves
Workers maltreating animals
Kid goats as young as 24-hours-old being killed
Secret cameras were used by an animal welfare group to film goats being reared at the farm near Skipton in North Yorkshire
An RSPCA spokesperson said: "This footage is distressing to see and raises some serious concerns regarding the treatment of these goats."
Phil Ormerod, the owner of Pasture House Farm, strongly denied any animals were neglected or abused.
He said the business met the requirements of "all external inspections, announced or unannounced" and encouraged site visits "from all sectors, including government, trade, academia, veterinary or from a variety of groups and auditing bodies".
He added: "We welcome the opportunity to have our farming practises challenged and though various claims and allegations have been made against our practises, none of what we have seen appears to breach the animal welfare standards to which we adhere."
A spokesperson for Delamere Dairy said: "From the evidence presented to us, we do not believe there have been any breaches in animal welfare or legalities at the farm."
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