Action Alerts From Animal Defenders of Westchester (ADOW)


NEWS 12 EXPOSE: CHAINED CALVES LEFT OUTSIDE ALONE IN EXTREME COLD

From Animal Defenders of Westchester (ADOW)

February 4, 2026

Troubling NYS Farm Expose from News 12 Westchester: Calves, removed from their mothers, left alone outside in the cold, chained by the neck in plastic hutches at a 'dairy farm' in Goshen. Cows are not considered 'wild' animals they are legally classified as Domestic Animals. Calves, and their mothers, are intelligent, sentient and sociable; they enjoy giving and receiving affection. Calves belong with their mothers: Cows love their babies like we love ours; heartbreaking video shows these mothers chasing after the trucks taking their babies away. Its bad enough to separate them from their mothers, at least this facility should house these babies together so they can be with each other instead of bizarrely chained by the neck alone. Antiquated animal 'protection' efforts still remain far too negligible in 2026.

Video on website. NYS must do better. Pls contact the following and politely demand protection for these profoundly silent victims:

GOVERNOR HOCHUL:
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 1-518-474-8390
WEBSITE: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

RICHARD BALL, COMMISSIONER, NYS DEPT OF AGRICULTURE:
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: (518) 457-2771

Pls thank News 12 Westchester reporter Blaise Gomez for her excellent, compassionate reporting:
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: (845) 595-6820

**ALSO: Pls contact your NYS legislators: Animals are not blocks of wood and should no longer be deemed as 'property' under the law, a change which is happening all over the world. Its time that animal protection laws - for 'farm' animals and all animals - were revisited and upgraded to current education and enlightenment reflecting animal sentience and intelligence in 2026.

Find NYS legislators here: https://pluralpolicy.com/open/


https://westchester.news12.com/calves-housed-outside-in-extreme-cold-on-goshen-farm-renews-debate-over-agriculture-laws

Calves housed outside in extreme cold on Goshen farm renews debate over agriculture laws

From Blaise Gomez, Westchester.News12.com

Young calves kept outside in plastic hutches at a farm in Orange County this week during the extreme cold are renewing the debate over animal care and New York's agriculture laws after a concerned neighbor photographed the conditions and alerted local animal activists and police.

The images, shared with News 12, show several calves housed individually in plastic hutches lined up across Fort Hill Farm in Goshen.

News 12 went to the farm Thursday and observed the calves up close. The animals were wearing blankets and tethered inside the hutches, with food available — but no water.

Farm owner Phil Johnson confirmed to News 12 that the calves do not have water out because of the freezing temperatures, saying it would freeze in the extreme cold.

“These calves are fed twice a day. They’re on milk, they’ve got grain and they’ve got hay,” Johnson said. “You see they have feed. They’re all inside and pretty content.”

Johnson says he has about 60 calves on the property, most of them being raised to become dairy cows. He strongly pushed back against allegations that the animals are not being properly cared for.

“These calves are worth between $1,000 and $2,000 a piece,” Johnson said. “We are not leaving them out here to die. We are taking care of them.”

Johnson, a fourth-generation farmer, said he was deeply upset by the scrutiny, noting that his family has endured generations of challenges in agriculture.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Johnson said. “My great-grandparents, my grandparents, my parents — they got through Prohibition, they got through World War II. And now this is my turn, and I’m dealing with the general public.”

The debate comes as the region experiences prolonged extreme cold, with temperatures this week in the single digits and wind chills making it feel well below zero at times.

Animal welfare advocates acknowledge that housing calves in outdoor hutches is a common and legal industry practice, but argue it raises serious concerns during extreme winter weather.

Heather Hallack-Booker, a board member with the Hudson Valley SPCA, said current agriculture law leaves room for interpretation when it comes to how livestock should be protected from severe cold.

“There’s sort of an open debate about how to interpret some of the laws on the books,” Hallack-Booker said. “What is considered protection from the cold? What is considered sufficient based on age?”

She said while three-sided shelters are considered standard and legal, advocates question whether they are adequate for very young animals during extreme weather.

“The open question is, is this sufficient for a one- or two-month-old calf?” Hallack-Booker said. “Is that really OK, or is that cruelty?

In a statement to News 12, Rachel McCrystal, director of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in Ulster County, said the practice of housing young calves alone in outdoor hutches is common in the industry but harmful — particularly during extreme cold.

“Removing calves from their mothers as newborns and confining them alone in small outdoor hutches causes emotional distress and puts them at risk for harm and even death in extreme weather events,” McCrystal said. She added that sub-zero wind chills forecast this week are “dangerous for young calves.”

Animal welfare activists say while the practice may be legal, it highlights what they believe are gaps in existing New York animal welfare laws.

State police say they responded to a report of possible animal neglect on Jan. 26 but determined the farm was not in violation of Agriculture and Markets Law. No charges were filed.

Animal advocates say the situation underscores a broader debate over whether current agriculture standards do enough to protect animals during increasingly extreme weather conditions.

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