One of the largest dairy farms in the country has pleaded guilty to three charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in connection with a disturbing video that was posted online in 2014.

The judge accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence and fined Chilliwack Cattle Sales $75,000 for each count of causing an animal continued distress for a total of $225,000.

Company director Wesley Kooyman also pleaded guilty to one count of the same charge.

He was fined $75,000.

Disturbing video

A member of an animal rights group got a job with the company in the spring of 2014 and he wore a hidden camera while he worked on the night shift.

He captured video of employees punching and kicking cows and beating them with canes and chains.

The video also shows a tractor lifting a cow by a chain that was placed around the animal's neck.

"On behalf of our family and company I'd like to apologize," Chilliwack Cattle Sales President and Chairman Kenneth Kooyman said to the judge.

"We deeply regret what has happened and we promise this will never happen again."

Making changes

Kooyman's lawyer says the family had no knowledge of the abuse that was happening on the night shift.

"The video was no less shocking to them than it was to the general public," said Len Doust. Doust called it "a crime of omission, not commission." He also said staff did not have proper training.

Doust says the company has now hired an HR manager to oversee the training of new employees and surveillance cameras have been installed so that workers can be monitored 24 hours a day.