Another One Bites the Dust: Third Dairy Worker Convicted of Animal Abuse

Yesterday another dairy worker, Stephen Troublefield, was convicted of three counts of criminal animal cruelty after a 2014 Mercy For Animals investigation documented him abusing cows at Winchester Dairy near Roswell, New Mexico. Troublefield was sentenced to 364 days of supervised probation and 25 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a $100 fine.

Footage from the investigation shows multiple dairy workers cruelly beating cows, dragging them with tractors, and shocking them in the genitals with electric prods. Two other Winchester Dairy workers, Jose Luis Zuniga-Lira and Cesar Morales-Iniguez, have already been convicted of a total of five counts of animal cruelty.

Watch the footage that led to the conviction here:


MFA praises the New Mexico Livestock Board and the Chaves County District Attorney’s Office for pursuing justice in this important case.

At the time of MFA’s investigation, Winchester Dairy sold milk to Leprino Foods, the world’s largest mozzarella cheese maker and a supplier to nearly all major pizza chains, including Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa John’s. After the investigation, Leprino Foods terminated its contract with Winchester Dairy, and following discussions with MFA, announced one of the most comprehensive animal welfare policies ever adopted by a major U.S. dairy company.

Legal prosecutions help ensure that animal abusers are held accountable. However, the best way to protect cows and other farmed animals is to choose compassionate alternatives to dairy, meat, and eggs. Visit ChooseVeg.com to get started!