A Practicing veterinarian's experience with an undercover activist's video

Abstract

A radical animal rights activist group with a vegan agenda placed an undercover employee on the farm of one of my clients to record a video that was released to the national media as part of their campaign to discredit the dairy industry. The sudden rush of unwanted attention from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals video was a severe challenge to the farm and also my clinic. Such videos are designed for emotional impact, but with help from partners within the dairy industry, we made every effort to answer questions openly and to show our concern for the well-being of animals. Such incidents should spur the industry to engage in a wider discussion of farm practices. Farmers who are targeted need to be proactive in telling their story, and need to connect with consumers on an emotional level by showing their empathy for animals and accepting responsibility.