The latest update is that Billy Joe Gregg Jr, so far the lone arrest at Conklin Dairy Farm, has had his bail set at $100,000.00.

As news of this arrest spread I was shocked by the amount of cynicism that animal rights activists responded with. I understand that typically the law does not respect the rights of animals, or animal rights activists, however, undercover videos also do not always translate into arrests, nor do they always garner this much press. This is obviously no time for a “Mission Accomplished” banner to be unfurled, but it is clear that the response on the ground in Plain City, OH has been pro-active and worldwide millions of people are becoming more aware of what can happen on your “fourth generation” local family farm. Some things I think are important to keep in mind are:

- The arrest of Billy Joe Gregg Jr. came after Conklin Dairy Farms brought in police to supervise his termination. Prior to this there was no investigation on the part of the Plain City, OH Police Dept. and they were not aware of the undercover video. This is why no further charges have been laid yet, and so far, Conklin Dairy Farms itself has not faced charges. This does not mean that they will not face charges, it just means that their initial move of offering up Billy Joe and the attempt to pin the widespread abuse on him, has worked thus far.

- Public response and outcry have forced attention upon Plain City, OH. The likelihood of further charges, I would argue, depends upon further pressure.

- Many animal rights activists have gone to great lengths to demonize Billy Joe. I think at this time it is important to call for ALL of Conklin Dairy to be charged. Conklin Dairy, and its owner, Gary Conklin, would like nothing more than for the all the attention to be placed upon Billy Joe Gregg Jr, reducing this to a case of just “a bad seed.” The actions animal rights activists take in the coming days, and the narratives we create can either help Gary Conklin’s cause or it can help shed light on the widespread abuse on that farm and the potential for unchecked abuse on farms nationwide.

I don’t think at this point anyone can really forecast what the impact will be on the industry and the animals, however, this is definitely a great example of why we need undercover video and the importance of all the work Mercy for Animals does. There is a lot of talk of self censorship in the animal rights community, as more and more activists recognize their fragility of their privacy in the AETA culture. But the Panopticon model works both ways. It is important for animal exploiters and abusers to know that at any time and any place we could be there documenting their atrocities for the world to see.