Farmer slams animal rights group for 'stealing' video of his daughter and calves

However, PETA UK extracted the video and captioned it: “How adorable! Cows are social animals, like us they recognise their friends and grieve when their family members die. Sadly, most cows on dairy farms are slaughtered when they’re 5 or 6. We hope that these babies will be spared the horrors of the abattoir.”

Dear @PETAUK , you have no permission to us this video which is an infringement under GDPR, I am also disgusted that you are using my daughter to promote yourselves, kindly remove the video immediately ! @BBCNews @SkyNews @rtenews @Independent_ie @VirginMediaNews @Twitter pic.twitter.com/DKEiwHcoct

— Peter hynes🐄🇮🇪 #TeamHynes (@Peterhynes1

Dear @PETAUK , you have no permission to us this video which is an infringement under GDPR, I am also disgusted that you are using my daughter to promote yourselves, kindly remove the video immediately ! @BBCNews @SkyNews @rtenews @Independent_ie @VirginMediaNews @Twitter pic.twitter.com/DKEiwHcoct

— Peter hynes\uD83D\uDC04\uD83C\uDDEE\uD83C\uDDEA #TeamHynes (@Peterhynes15) March 30, 2020

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Mr Hynes was quick to point out PETA UK’s use of the video was an infringement under GDPR rules and lacked parental consent which is necessary under Irish law, and has called the organisation out for placing undue stress on farmers who are working hard to keep supply chains open as the world battles the virus pandemic.

In response, Mr Hynes posted a video on Twitter (March 30), which expressed his ‘disgust’ at the organisation’s ‘exploitation of his daughter’ to pedal animal activist agendas, and demanded a ‘full public apology to his daughter as well as the removal of the video’.

He said: “PETA constantly discuss about things being exploited and while every one of us is entitled to our own views, shame on you for exploiting my daughter to promote your own ways.”

This is a message for @PETAUK , shame on you for exploiting my daughter & using her to promote your
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Food production is so important now more than ever to keep supply chains open as the world battles the #coronavirus pandemic. Shame on you @PETAUK for placing undue stress pic.twitter.com/XN6zF4vW5N

— Peter hynes🐄🇮🇪 #TeamHynes (@Peterhyn

This is a message for @PETAUK , shame on you for exploiting my daughter & using her to promote your views.

Food production is so important now more than ever to keep supply chains open as the world battles the #coronavirus pandemic. Shame on you @PETAUK for placing undue stress pic.twitter.com/XN6zF4vW5N

— Peter hynes\uD83D\uDC04\uD83C\uDDEE\uD83C\uDDEA #TeamHynes (@Peterhynes15) March 30, 2020

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PETA UK’s inappropriate use of the video has attracted a backlash of critism from farming and rural communities, with various media outlets sharing the story, both in Ireland and across the UK.

However PETA’s director of international programmes, Mimi Bekhechi, told Farmers Guardian: “PETA is in full compliance with Twitter’s terms of service, but it is ironic a dairy farmer is expressing concern about consent – something he certainly does not have from the cows whose bodies he exploits.

“The milk they produce is for their babies, whom they love just as much as he does his, and we suspect his little girl would choose to save the calves she is sitting with, instead of allowing them to be slaughtered, if given the choice.”