A 62-year-old Northland farmer has been fined $5,000 and banned from owning more than 70 cows for 2 years after being found guilty of a range of animal welfare offences.
Kenneth Charles Wood was sentenced at the Whāngārei District Court last week. As well as the fine and ban, he was ordered to pay court costs of $130 and veterinary costs of $525.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) brought a prosecution against Mr Wood after receiving a complaint about the state of some of his cattle on his Ōruawharo property.
MPI is concerned that this was an avoidable situation where animals suffered unnecessarily as a result of the farmer failing to ensure his cattle's physical, health, and daily needs were met.
