Canada’s Largest Dairy Producer Issues Animal Welfare Policy

Earlier this month, Saputo—Canada’s largest dairy producer—released a new “zero tolerance” animal welfare policy, which states that “willful mistreatment and neglect of animals and acts that maliciously cause pain, injury, or suffering” will be deemed as unacceptable acts of animal cruelty. The dairy titan also will not accept milk from suppliers who do not adhere to their new animal welfare standards, which includes the elimination of tail docking and the mandatory use of anesthetic and pain reliever when removing horns. Saputo is the 10th largest dairy producer in the world and the second largest cheese manufacturer for the United States. As part of their push toward animal welfare, the dairy company is also funding educational programs at two North American universities, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These changes are a result of undercover footage released by animal-welfare organization, Mercy For Animals, exposing one of Saputo’s suppliers.