Group that uncovered cow abuse says far worse happening in Lee County

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. Animal abuse that surpasses that shown in a video from an Okeechobee dairy farm is ongoing in Lee County, an animal group alleges.

The Animal Recovery Mission, a Miami Beach-based animal cruelty group, says they’re investigating four Lee County cases.

“We are talking about one of the most violent cases we’ve ever investigated in the world… in Lee County,” said Richard Couto, the group’s leader. “The crimes we’re showing them and the evidence way surpasses the Larson Dairy investigation.”

Couto declined to provide more specifics about the Lee County investigations.

Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel Stephen said during a news conference that he assigned an investigator to the Larson case after viewing an undercover video that showed a worker kicking cows in the heads and beating them with metal rods.

The video released Thursday was shot by an investigator with Animal Recovery Mission, which began working at Larson Dairy in August.

WARNING — the video below contains disturbing content:

Operation Larson Dairy Farm from ARM Investigations on Vimeo.

“These are true modern day concentration camps for animals,” Couto said. “They’re some of the last legal concentration camps on the earth.”

Publix supermarkets announced Thursday it has suspended milk deliveries from Larson, adding in a statement the Florida-based company is “shocked” by the treatment of cows.

In a statement, Jacob Larson said the employee has been fired and company officials are “appalled” by the actions in the video.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.