Drone footage uncovers 'horrific' scene at a dairy farm in California: 'Unbearable to watch'

Drone footage uncovered a disturbing scene at a California dairy farm, showing the reality of mass cattle-raising operations. 

"EXPOSED: Dairy farms across California are sending calves to massive calf-raising operations in the Central Valley where they are housed in tiny crates for months on end," reads the caption of the video (warning: the video contains footage of animal mistreatment, including one calf being shot) shared by Direct Action Everywhere (@directactioneverywhere) on social media. 

"This is Grimmius Cattle Company," the post continues. "This is the real California dairy industry." 

As startling as the footage is, even more upsetting may be the fact that this is not the only farm operating under similar conditions. As the demand for meat and dairy rises, conditions on the factory farms that supply these products can worsen. 

The video's text claims that Grimmius Cattle Company has three farms that hold a total of 200,000 calves and has ties to major brands and retailers. Brands and retailers listed include Brandt Beef, Land O' Lakes, Costco, and Walmart. 

In addition to animal welfare concerns, such operations present widespread and well-documented environmental impacts. Livestock can produce hundreds of billions of pounds of planet-warming methane annually, and manure and chemicals used in agriculture can pollute soil and groundwater.

The footage may be hard to watch for many, but those who made it through had plenty to say. 

"Beyond heartbreaking," one said. "Seeing the scale of this is hugely confronting and this is only one of these horrific places."

"Unbearable to watch this," another added. 

"So horrific," agreed one more. "We have to act now." 

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While the problem is enormous, small everyday actions can help. 

As many commenters noted, asking legislators to act and voting for candidates who care about the causes that matter to you are two actions you can take. 

You can also consume less meat and dairy. Incorporating meat alternatives into your diet and skipping meat even one day a week can make a difference and help reduce demand. 

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