Denver Cheese Company Cuts Ties With Supplier After Alleged Animal Abuse

DENVER (CBS4)- A cheese company in Denver has ended the relationship with one of its dairy suppliers after video surfaced which allegedly shows the intentional mistreatment of animals.

The alleged abuse was captured on video at Winchester Dairy near Roswell, New Mexico. The video allegedly shows employees torturing cows with farming equipment, beating and kicking dairy cows.

Denver-based Leprino Foods had used milk from Winchester Dairy to make cheese for four major pizza chains. The company's corporate headquarters are located at 1830 W. 38th Avenue in Denver.

The video was captured with hidden cameras by the group Mercy for Animals. Their investigation included video from August and this month which seems to show employees at the dairy farm whipping cows with chains and allowing injured animals to suffer without veterinary care.

"Due to the company's complete lack of welfare policies and guidelines for its suppliers, Leprino Foods allowed a culture of cruelty and neglect to fester at this dairy farm," said Director of Mercy for Animals Matt Rice.

The group has called for Leprino Foods to adopt a zero tolerance policy for its milk providers.

Leprino Foods said the company stopped their relationship with the dairy when they were alerted to the abuse last week.

Leprino released this statement, "We take these situations extremely seriously and are extremely repulsed by these events. The actions depicted in the video are appalling and unacceptable."

Winchester Dairy said the employees in the videos have been fired. Investigators in New Mexico are looking into the case and said they will consider filing charges if warranted.