NOTE: For coverage of the grand jury’s decision, see;
http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/conklin-dairy-farm-no-additional-charges/15283.html Farm & Dairy (blog)
Animal abuser, animal rights activist fooled dairy farmer with
seemingly good backgroundsby Chris Kick
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/animal-...unds/15300.html PLAIN CITY, Ohio — When Union County dairy farmer Gary Conklin hired
the now-fired animal abuser Billy Joe Gregg Jr., and undercover animal
rights filmmaker Jason Smith, he did so thinking he was getting two
men with good dairy experience.
It’s what their resumes and applications indicated. Gregg had
reportedly worked on his family’s dairy in Michigan and had been
honorably discharged from the military. Smith had worked on his
family’s dairy in Texas and had worked for a painter.
Showed experience
Their records indicated they were experienced for the job, and they
appeared that way, until late May when Conklin saw an undercover video
on the Internet program YouTube, depicting Gregg purposefully abusing
animals with pitchforks and metal bars, and Smith filming the actions
as they took place.
“From a credential standpoint he (Gregg) appeared good,” Conklin told
Farm and Dairy. “We had absolutely no idea anything was going on like
what was seen in the video.”
Gregg began working for the farm in November and Smith started in
April. Both workers typically completed an afternoon shift, Conklin
said, when other workers were not around.
As a cattle broker, Conklin said it’s the nature of his work to be off
the farm much of the day, which is partly the reason he did not
observe the abuse.
MFA testimony
Smith reportedly told law enforcement that he did not witness any
abuse by Conklin, and that Conklin did not know of the abuse by Gregg.
It was the intent of Mercy for Animals — the pro-vegan organization
that produced the film — to prove that the farm owner knew what was
happening and allowed it to continue.
“What we need to determine was not only that the cruelty was ongoing
and outstanding, but we needed to verify for law enforcement, who knew
about it, who was involved in it, how much the owner (Conklin) knew,
if he was involved — that’s the reason the investigation went on so
that we could provide everything,” said MFA Director of
Investigations, Daniel Hauff, the day Gregg was arraigned.
Charge the activists?
Union County Prosecuting Attorney David Phillips said the grand jury
also considered charges against MFA and Smith, whose videotaping of
the abuse spanned about a four-week period.
Smith told deputies he
also had kicked animals and poked them with a pitchfork.
“He (Smith) claimed he did so to maintain his cover, and said he
didn’t use his full strength,” Phillips said in a released statement.
“The investigator told me that MFA was aware of the abuse, since he
reported to them on a daily (basis). MFA allowed the abuse to
continue, unreported, and the animals to suffer at the hands of Billy
Joe Gregg.” MFA responded with its own statement, saying “this case graphically
illustrates that animal agriculture in Ohio is incapable of
self-regulation, and that stronger state and federal laws are urgently
needed to detect and deter future abuse.”
Phillips said it was wrong not to call law enforcement immediately.
“As soon as the investigator and MFA became aware of Gregg’s actions,
someone should have notified law enforcement or the humane society,”
he said. “Had they done so, much of the abuse at the hands of Billy
Joe Gregg shown on the video never would have happened, and the
animals would have been spared.”
No charges
Ultimately, the grand jury decided there was not enough evidence to
proceed against MFA.
Future plans. Conklin said he plans to increase the scrutiny of
applications before hiring again, and said he’s also working on ways
to increase the monitoring of employees and provide a standard method
to report any abuse that is seen, immediately.
Still, he can’t help but question all that has happened, and its timing.
“Was he there protecting us (and the animals) or was it more about
getting horrific video because they had a petition signature drive
going on?”
It’s a question he said he can’t answer, but one that should be
answered by each person.
“I think its incumbent upon the people of Ohio to draw their own
conclusion,” he said.
Clear focus
Right now, Conklin’s focus is on his business — now in its
fourth-generation — and keeping up the work he believes in.
“We’re just focussed on our safety and the well-being of our cows and
getting our business back on track,” he said.
He expressed his thanks for the support of local law enforcement and
the sheriff’s department, the prosecutor and members of the grand
jury, as well as the community and dairy industry, for their support
in upholding the law and his farm.