ARM Investigations

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Katie Lovelace — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 21:14:31 +0000

Dashain Festival 2023

Katie Lovelace — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 22:00:07 +0000

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2023 Investigation Coming Soon.

$25,000 REWARD: MANHUNT FOR HORSE THIEVES SUSPECTED IN BLACK MARKET MEAT TRADE

Katie Lovelace — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 20:22:27 +0000

REWARD
$25,000 REWARD: MANHUNT FOR HORSE THIEVES SUSPECTED IN BLACK MARKET MEAT TRADE

Between August 11^th and the early hours of August 12^th, 2023 , a young horse and her foal were stolen from their home in the equestrian community of South West Ranches, Florida.

During morning checks, Venus and Milagro’s owner discovered that the horses were missing and the back fence to their field had been knocked down, along with evidence of a hotwire being rigged up to lead the horses underneath.

ARM immediately responded to the owners’ distress call and has been investigating the case since, including executing extensive ground searches and working with local enforcement.

ARM is highly suspicious that this foul play will uncover Venus and Milagro as the latest black-market horse meat trade victims where horses are butchered alive and sold for human consumption.

This heinous crime follows the theft and slaughter of two other horses, War and Sammy, earlier this year. Their remains were found dumped along a canal, steps from their home in Homestead, Florida, another renowned horse slaughter hot spot.

ARM is working against the clock in this case to find Venus and Milagro – dead or alive. We are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the criminal/s responsible for the theft and suspected butchering of these two horses.

Stay tuned for updates on this page.

Did you know that the slaughter of horses in Florida is a third-degree felony?

In 2010, ARM was instrumental in passing the Good Horse Slaughter Act, making the buying, selling, transporting, and killing of a horse for human consumption and possessing horse meat a felony in Florida. Perpetrators may face a minimum of one-year imprisonment and a $3,500 fine.

Do you have any information regarding this case? You can make an anonymous tip on our HOTLINE by clicking on this link:

https://animalrecoverymission.org/contact-us/report-animal-abuse/

PRESS RELEASE

IN THE NEWS

VIDEOS

BREAKING: ANIMAL LAW PASSED.

Katie Lovelace — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 01:23:31 +0000

Animal fighting is a highly violent and brutal crime that exploits animals by forcing them to battle against one another until only one survivor remains. The ‘games’ come with high stakes and carry large purses at the price of animals enduring painstakingly slow and horrific deaths for profit and entertainment.

Animal Recovery Mission has been going undercover in these fights for years with disappointing resistance from law enforcement after our cases are completed. To ensure laws made it impossible to deny criminal activity, ARM turned to the County Commissioners of one of the most corrupt and populated areas of animal fighting operations that it has been embedded in– Miami-Dade, Florida.

Perseverance and a great relationship with shared visions has paid off. Stemming from ARM’s investigations in Miami-Dade (in particular ARM’s animal fighting investigations), this month, the Commissioners unanimously approved, ordinance 21-120, sponsored by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, that addresses animal cruelty in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

This ordinance is crucial as it includes language pertaining to the criminal activity of animal fighting, including cockfighting roosters, which has been previously dismissed from enforcement and arress.

Key components of the ordinance include;

To torture, torment, mutilate, kill, or unnecessarily overdrive any animal or to cause the same to be done. (1.1) To engage in animal fighting, including, without limitation, dog fighting or cock fighting. For purposes of this section, to be engaged in animal fighting means:

(i)to instigate, promote, advertise, charge any admission fee for, assist, hold, manage, stage, conduct, be employed in connection with, be present for the preparation of, provide an animal for, allow one’s own real or personal property to be used for, gamble on, bet on, wager on, be a spectator at, or profit from an exhibition, contest, or event featuring the fighting of an animal with another animal during which an animal may be injured, maimed, or killed;

(ii) to bait, breed, train, transport, sell, own, possess, or use any animal for the purpose of engaging in animal fighting.
(iii) to own, possess, or sell equipment for the purpose of engaging in animal fighting;
(iv) to own, lease, manage, operate, or have control of any property kept or used for the purpose of engaging in animal fighting; or
to otherwise participate in any way in animal fighting.

The ordinance will now increase civil penalties and fines for acts of animal cruelty and include additional acts that can constitute animal cruelty such as ‘trunking’ and dogfighting. This new ordinance mirrors Florida state statute and enables local law enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office to prosecute those who commit these heinous acts.

“Upon becoming County Commissioner for District 8 and being exposed to the rampant amount of animal abuse occurring in South Dade, I knew we needed to act fast. Animal cruelty often goes unnoticed due to the fact that the victims do not have voices themselves,” said Commissioner Cohen Higgins. “I am proud that this ordinance passed with the support of all of my colleagues and even garnered media attention from local news. Although this topic is difficult to discuss, it is important we continue to spread awareness on behalf of the animals in Dade County.”

Read full ordinance here: https://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/legistarfiles/MinMatters/Y2021/212819min.pdf

ARM extends gratitude to the County Commissioner’s Board of Miami-Dade and everyone supporting this ordinance to further protect innocent animals.

This is a huge step in the right direction of laws passed to protect those with little to no protection, making it undeniable to execute arrests and prosecution of these violent, underground crimes against animals.

Dairy Industry Corruption Exposed

Katie Lovelace — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:21:28 +0000

ARM’s 2019 dairy investigations have spurred OrganicEye, an organic industry watchdog, to conduct an independent investigation and file a formal complaint against the country’s largest producer of ‘certified’ organic milk, Natural Prairie Dairy. (See below for the press releases and articles).

OrganicEye confirmed the egregious crimes that ARM revealed during its undercover investigation at Natural Prairie Dairy. It cited animal abuse, mistreatment, and severe environmental degradation in gross violation of federal organic regulations and standards.

OrganicEye’s investigation also shines the light on the presence of corruption and how large-scale farming controls, partners, and colludes with governmental organizations to protect the dairy industry and its producers.

This ‘protection’ has ensured that countless consumer, community, and environmental parties’ pleas are ignored.

One of the most public displays of protest involves the Indiana Hoosier Environmental Council charging Natural Prairie Dairy with illegally filling in ditches and wetlands in the state’s most fragile ecosystem. All to construct its new factory farm dairy facility that will house 4350 cows.

For 16 years, OrganicEye has been reporting abuse, violations, and scandals to the USDA and official governing bodies. Still, nothing significant has been enacted regarding accountability within the dairy industry. An appalling reaction that ARM experienced after exposing four dairy farms during what is now considered to be the largest investigation into the dairy industry that has ever been executed.

In OrganicEye’s formal complaint, they requested that the USDA re-open their investigation into the animal abuse that ARM documented whilst undercover at Natural Prairie Diary.

It was revealed through OrganicEye’s extensive research, that no qualified USDA investigators with organic livestock management experience even investigated the violations that ARM exposed at all. Instead, OrganicEye found that the USDA has been using corporate agribusiness front groups and certifiers sanctioned for serious corruption/violations to do the dirty work, which included ARM’s investigation at Natural Prairie Dairy. This has resulted in greenwashing, lack of enforcement, and collusion between industry lobbyists and USDA appointees.

Lending heavily to scandals and cover-ups, this is not the first time that OrganicEye has found the USDA to ignore concrete evidence like ARM’s investigation. OrganicEye has reported decades of satellite images, aerial photography and tips of organic dairy operations in question, they stated that federal USDA investigators never interview the lead witnesses (including ARM) or take serious actions with the incriminating evidence. When they do, they generally co-ordinate with unqualified staff who observe the operations and tip off the dairy operation. This allows the dairies ample time is provided to cover up any violations or discrepancies.

In 2017 OrganicEye also collaborated with an investigative reporter from the Washington Post, in which the USDA preemptively closed an investigation on Aurora, a mega organic dairy farm. Despite the Washington Post investigative reporters’ evidence, including damning drone video footage documenting violations of strict organic standards regarding the grazing of dairy cows, the USDA ignored and defended the dairy. After reviewing uncertain pasture management records, the USDA filed that the dairy farm was in compliance and met organic standards’ requirements. The case was closed without any further investigation.

The Cornucopia Institute also confirmed that the USDA is complacent and lacks proper enforcement of organic standards and has done so for years.

This corruption is something that ARM has encountered time and time again when presenting concrete animal cruelty cases to the USDA, including that of Natural Prairie Dairy. To date, no-one to this day has been held accountable for the crimes that were documented legally during ARM’s in-depth investigations. The USDA has also ignored complaint letters sent directly to the USDA and have never contacted ARM, being the primary witness to the crimes at Natural Prairie Dairy.

It is evident, now more than ever, More than ever, that Big Ag is controlling and dictating what the USDA and other government agencies do, showing the food safety and inspection system in the United States is corrupt and broken.

In addition, consumers are also continuing to be deceived by companies and products when they are trying to make conscious decisions in supporting higher standards for animals, the environment, and themselves.

“Consumers who are willing to pay a premium for organic dairy products assume they are supporting more humane animal husbandry standards and exemplary environmental stewardship as required by law, and that part of the extra cost goes to support family-scale farmers who share their values,”

– Mark A. Kastel, Director of OrganicEye

Learn more about the OrganicEye and its investigation following ARM’s investigation by clicking on the file below.

BREAKING NEWS- Historic executive personnel collapse at Fair Oaks Farms!

Katie Lovelace — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:31:38 +0000

It is almost one year since the release of ARM’s Operation Fair Oaks Farms dairy investigations. Recently it was announced that three of the company’s high-ranking executives have now been terminated from Fair Oaks Farms.

This is the first time that top-level executives have been terminated, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. This critical position in a company, along with the COO and CSO, will now cease to exist at Fair Oaks Farms all together and is a shocking business decision.

The groundbreaking news directly attributed to ARM’s undercover investigation of Fair Oaks Farms. This was stated and referenced in a memo that was sent directly to Fair Oaks Farms employees from Mike McCloskey. This memo (see below) was not intended for public release until a disgruntled employee posted it across social media.

Since ARM’s investigation, there has been significant economic downturn and hardships of the operations at; Fair Oaks Farms, Fairlife, Coca-Cola, Midwest Veal, and Natural Prairie dairy. It has also affected Strauss Veal Feeds, where the Fair Oaks Farms calves were transported for veal production.

In addition to the economic stress of Fair Oaks Farms and Mike McCloskey, is their commitment to the economic infrastructure of Newton county’s cheese and whey manufacture plant, currently under construction. News of the termination of the top-level Fair Oaks Farms executives has put a heavy emphasis on the uncertainty of this project in meeting a deadline of completion. If not satisfied, Select Milk and Fair Oaks Farms will be buried with a 26 million debt.

It is clear that in the aftermath of ARM’s undercover investigations, there has been consistent evidence of mounting and substantial ties between Mike McCloskey and Newton County.

Last year, ARM also received public backlash from Newton County’s State Attorney, Jeffrey Drinski, who attempted to damage both ARM’s case and credibility. Drinski made countless false claims and public statements that ARM had coerced and encouraged employees to enact crimes against animals.

His special interests and ties to Mike McCloskey and business projects in Newton County later revealed to be a conflict of interest, and he was soon after removed from the case.

It is now being made clear that governing bodies, and much of Newton County, had reasons to protect the truth that ARM revealed in its investigations.

But the truth always prevails, and this recent announcement depicts the gradual decline of not only the largest dairy farm operation but the dairy industry as a whole.

This demonstrates positive shifts in animal protection and the beginning of a downfall of an industry that has exploited and tortured dairy cows for too long.

To learn more about ARM’s groundbreaking investigation, click the link to the video below. You can also click here to learn about the Fair Oaks Farms dairy investigations.

PRESS

Bankruptcy of Dean Foods

Katie Lovelace — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:56:14 +0000

BREAKING NEWS

Dean Foods, America’s biggest dairy milk producer, has filed for bankruptcy!

Dean Foods, and the dairy industry as a whole, continues to struggle as consumers have been made aware of the atrocities associated with the production of dairy. Millions of people are now leaning towards purchasing and consuming more compassionate, plant-based alternatives to dairy.

ARM’s dairy farm investigations have had a strong impact and influence upon both individuals and companies on people making this switch to ditching dairy from their diets. Hundreds of retailers have made the ethical decisions to cut ties with companies. In 2018, grocery chain giant, Food Lion, ended its relationships with Dean Foods, as a result of ARM’s dairy investigations.

In addition to ARM’s recent Fairlife / Fair Oaks Farms investigations, in 2017 ARM also released its investigation upon McArthur dairy farm titled in Florida – a Dean Food’s supplier. Click to learn more about Operation Dean Foods

The future is bright for animals who are victims to the systematic abuse and cruelty of this industry wide issue.

Read Full article by NBC News below or by clicking here.

PRESS RELEASE

BREAKING NEWS! Arrest made upon Sunrise Illegal Animal Slaughter farm abuser!

Katie Lovelace — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 19:49:05 +0000

BREAKING NEWS ARREST – SUNRISE ILLEGAL ANIMAL SLAUGHTER AND SACRIFICE FARM

Stemming from the Animal Recovery Mission’s investigation of an illegal animal slaughter (and sacrifice) farm, and consequent raid of over 300 animals, the arrest of Kalito Jones was executed by the Sunrise (FL) Police Department on August 12, 2018. Jones was charged with 17 felony counts of animal cruelty and 7 misdemeanor counts including the confinement of animals without sufficient food and water.

On August. 2018, ARM recovered all of the animals from the Sunrise (FL) property who were promptly transported safely to ARM’s Sanctuary where they have been receiving around the clock care for a multitude of illnesses, disease, extreme malnutrition and neglect.

To learn more about the Sunrise Animal Rescue, click on the link here.

With the immediate influx of expenses required to provide extensive veterinary aide and dire nutrition to all of the animals, ARM is greatly in need of any donations, which can be made by clicking this link.

The parents of the 9 Black Mouth Kur puppies are being boarded at Extra Care Animal Hospital in Davie. If you are interested in adopting the pair, or contributing to the accommodation & medical care of these dogs, please contact Taylor at taylor@arminvestigations.org or by calling the hospital directly on.

In addition, ARM will post all breaking updates of this monumental arrest and convictions on our website and social media pages.

Thank you for supporting animal cruelty investigations like the Sunrise Animal Seizure.

Exclusive Footage

Press Release and News articles

Ruling Reversed

Katie Lovelace — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 22:38:53 +0000

Breaking News: ARM creates state wide case law

Breaking news developed for ARM today, July 25th, 2018, following a decision by the Third district Florida appeals court, to reverse a previous ruling on an illegal animal slaughter farm investigation that ARM investigators initiated in 2013.

After more than two years after its evidence was presented, The Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) received a final ruling on a Miami-Dade case where video and audio evidence showed animals being slaughtered at the hands of Yonisley Garcia at his illegal slaughter farm in Florida, titled, ‘Operation Noche Buena’.

At the release of the investigation upon Operation Noche Buena, Yonisley Garcia was arrested. ARM’s footage captured Garcia conducting a public business of selling and slaughtering animals for humane consumption. It also demonstrated Garcia, and workers of the business, executing extreme degrees of animal cruelty and torture including; dragging pigs with Gaffhooks, bludgeoning animals to death with hammers, slaughtering animals inhumanely and drowning pigs alive in cauldrons of bowling water.

However, during his prosecution, Garcia’s defense team argued that the video and audio obtained by ARM investigators was conducted illegally. The defense also presented to the court that the events which occurred on private property, were captured by ARM representatives who had not disclosed that they were carrying recording devices.

Today the Third District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee reversed the ruling made by Judge Murphy in the State vs. Yonisley Garcia case. The audio and video obtained by ARM Investigators will now be allowed in trial and used as evidence. Click here to view the Appeal Court ruling.

This case will be remanded to the trial court for rehearing, where the judge will view the evidence (i.e video of a crowd around slaughtering helpless animals) and rule that there is no expectation of privacy, just as Palm Beach ruled, in ARM’s favor.

This development has not only created new state wide law, but it has set the tone in addressing and re-opening other challenging cases which ARM has endured after presenting its investigative findings. This includes the four illegal animal slaughter farms investigations in Ft Myers, which ARM recently received threats of arrest and prosecution by the State Attorney’s Office in Lee County, Florida. Lee County SAO stated that it was illegal to obtain and submit surreptitious recordings and has even threatened to arrest ARM’s Founder, Richard Couto, and other ARM Operatives. Official agencies declined to prosecute due to ARM’s recordings.

Future developments will be updated here.

Press

Southern Florida Emergency Animal Seizure

Katie Lovelace — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 02:19:27 +0000

Animal Recovery Mission was called to an emergency situation today, where it was brought to our attention that hundreds of animals were being held in deplorable conditions in Southwest Florida. The facility appeared to be a holding location for sacrificial animals including dogs, goats and birds.

Animals were being held without food or water in dilapidated shacks and cages. The young were not kept with their mothers and we found all animals were both emaciated and terrified.

We are in the process of loading all of the animals into our trailers and bringing them back to our Sanctuary. Between the Lee County raids and today’s discovery of hundreds of severely malnourished and suffering animals, your donations are more important than ever.

Every single animal we recovered today will require significant veterinary care and feed to ensure survival in our sanctuary. Anything you can do to help will directly benefit the well-being of these new rescues, who are desperately in need of care.

Please, please consider making a donation to help directly care for the veterinary and feeding needs of today’s rescued animals