Serious cruelty to animals

Vorarlberg farmer ripped out cattle’s tongue

The outrage is huge: a farmer in Bregenzerwald has to answer for serious cruelty to animals. When one of his cattle refused to enter the stall intended for hoof trimming, he tied a rope around the animal's tongue and yanked on it so hard that the tongue was torn off. 

The farmer did not pay much attention to the injured cow. The cattle were transported to the slaughterhouse in Salzburg. Here, those responsible had nothing to complain about either during the live inspection or the subsequent meat inspection. 

However, the farmer is not only being investigated for serious cruelty to animals. He will probably also have to answer for illegal drug trafficking. He is accused of importing antibiotics and cortisone from Germany and administering them to the animals.

Uncertain consequences for consumers
The specific consequences for consumers of milk and meat are uncertain. If antibiotics are ingested through food, this could lead to certain medicines administered by doctors no longer working. While milk is checked regularly, meat is only subject to random checks.