Man pleads guilty in another cow cruelty case in Chino

A cattleman accused of housing cows in unsafe living conditions pleaded guilty today to a felony animal abuse charge, the San Bernardino Sun reports:

Albert Buitenhuis, 28, accepted a plea deal in Superior Court in Chino that included a sentence of fines and three years' probation.

Prosecutors say he failed to remove dead cows from a barn at his Chino dairy.

There were six cow carcasses in the barn, including several in a water trough, said Beth Les, humane investigator for the Inland Valley Humane Society.

"I'm glad with what we got" for the sentence, Les said.

It's not the only Chino-based cow case still in the courts.

This year, the largest recall in U.S. history of beef was prompted by an animal rights group investigation of another Chino slaughterhouse where sick cows were being abused.

One of the workers accused of animal cruelty, Daniel Ugarte Navarro, pleaded no contest this summer in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Chino to two felony counts of animal cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to downed animals.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Monday and could get up to a year in jail.

Another worker, Rafael Sanchez Herrera, pleaded guilty in March to three misdemeanor counts of illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal and was sentenced to six months in jail.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

Comments

[Clemmieo]

It's good that these people who abuse animals be punished. Hopefully, before long sadists will realize there is no percentage in it, and with all the effort around the world, some more effective in some countries than others to have dogs and cats neutered,attempt to find homes rather than euthanize and if not able to find homes, then take care of the animals for the rest of their lives in foster homes or spacious shelters, then we are coming a long way in taking care of those animals who cannot really do without our care. This goes for animals who have disabilities especially. We show our humanity when we are kind to animals and it is a very important lesson to teach our children. Perhaps that is the first lesson they learn and it translates into caring for people and especially those who need our help towards living the lives we are fortunate to live.

[Brien Comerford]

I became a vegetarian thirty years ago upon finding out about the cruel and inhumane mistreatment of cows, pigs, lambs, chickens, turkeys, fish and all other creatures killed for food. Many people belittle the Bible but it did rightfully assert that the idyllic diet for mankind was vegetarian (Genesis 1:29).