A Struggling New York Farmer Is Charged With Animal Abuse in the Deaths of 27 Cows

James Mumbulo was trying to rebuild his dairy in upstate New York after milk production at his farm dropped and the processing plant stopped buying his milk.

He focused on growing his small operation in Edmeston, New York, using the milk from a few dozen heifers to only feed calves, his family said. Mumbulo had hoped to start producing milk again.

Something went horribly wrong.

On Sunday, Mumbulo, 45, was arrested by New York State Police after they discovered 27 dead cows and several inches of manure inside the barn he was renting. Mumbulo was charged with 27 counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals under the state’s agriculture and markets law.

The grisly discovery of the cows comes at a time when many New York dairy farmers are struggling economically because of low milk prices and difficult weather conditions.

Police said a local resident had asked them to check in on the animals because he had not seen the cows outside for some time. Police enlisted the help of a veterinarian who discovered the cows in “an advanced stage of decomposition,” said State Trooper Aga Dembinska, a spokeswoman for the State Police.

Dembinska said because of the state of the animals, the veterinarian could not determine the cause of death. But, she added, there was no food or water in the barn.

The Otsego County District Attorney’s office has ordered Mumbulo to bury the cows in a hole at least 3 feet deep within 72 hours, Dembinska said. Steven Ratner, assistant district attorney in charge of the case, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Dennis Mumbulo, James’ father, vehemently denied that his son had neglected the animals. He said the cows died in the spring, possibly from pneumonia.

Mumbulo said the family had always worked in the dairy industry. His own father sold the business many years back and they were renting the barn to rebuild an operation.

He said they had planned to clean out the barn and bury the cows after they died.

“We didn’t make it there the way we probably should’ve,” he said. “We’re all very sorry that it happened.”

David Balbian, a regional dairy specialist with Cornell University’s cooperative extension, said he was not familiar with Mumbulo, but the discovery of the more than two dozen cows was “unusual and shocking.”

“The one thing I would say is dairy farmers have been under severe economic pressures because the milk prices have been quite low for quite some time,” he said. “But it’s not an excuse for not caring for their animals.”

He added: “When you’re working hard every day and losing money every single day, it really takes a toll.”

Mumbulo was released and is expected to appear in court Nov. 19.