Dairy Farmers

Re “Trouble Rains Down on Swamped Dairies,” Feb. 27: Shame, shame, shame on the Ontario dairy farmers who sat back and watched with the senselessness of a dumb beast while thousands of their dairy cows wallowed and foundered in knee-deep mud, succumbing finally to exhaustion and agonizing death.

While dairy farmers are now adding up their losses--$1,300 to replace each animal--could they not sooner have figured the cost of renting a bulldozer and piling up some higher ground for their suffering animals to stand on? “Cow herds with adequate shelter fared better,” noted one astute Ontario dairyman. Does it not then make sense to--how shall I put it--take care of your livestock? This is a humane crisis of gigantic proportion. Shame on Ontario dairymen.

LAURA AVERY

Fullerton