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Oct 28, 2009 6:00 pm US/Central
Dairy Cows Removed From 'Putrid Environment'
(WCCO)
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The Stearns County Sheriff's Department along with the Animal Humane Society took the 47 cows from a farm near Sauk Centre.
Keith Streff
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A lack of funds forced investagors to take cows away from a farmer in Sauk Centre, Minn.
Keith Streff
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A lack of funds forced investagors to take cows away from a farmer in Sauk Centre, Minn.
Keith Streff
-
-
A lack of funds forced investagors to take cows away from a farmer in Sauk Centre, Minn.
Keith Streff
Authorities removed cows from a local dairy farmer Monday because of unsanitary conditions. According to police, the farmer, 69-year-old Richard Yarke, had a hard time taking care of the animals, as well as himself.
The Stearns County Sheriff's Department along with the Animal Humane Society took the 47 cows from a farm near Sauk Centre.
According to police, the farmer, 69-year-old Richard Yarke, had a hard time taking care of the animals, as well as himself.
The pictures taken of his farm are disturbing. It looks like the cows are standing in mud, but it is actually feces and urine.
"Pretty putrid environment … 47cattle that were essentially wallowing in a liquid mixture of feces and urine," said Keith Streff, an investigator with the Animal Humane Society.
Stearns County Deputy Tim Kantos said the farmer was not feeding the cows and that animals were drinking urine because they had little water.
"It was quite apparent that the owner of the operation was either unwilling or unable to do it on his own accord," said Streff. "On the 26th we executed a warrant and had the animals removed."
The Department of Agriculture stopped the farmer from selling milk because conditions were so bad.
"Animals that are seized in a criminal intervention in an animal cruelty scenario has to be held in quarantine for 10 days," said Streff.
Kantos said the farmer was doing the best he could, but he could not keep up with the farm. He was alone and the animals were too much for him to handle.
The farmer was taken to St. Cloud hospital for a psychiatric check.
The cows will remain in quarantine for 10 days. A hearing will be held to determine if they will be sold or if the farmer will get to keep his cattle.
Sonya Goins, Producer
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