A Waikato farmer has been sentenced in the Morrinsville District Court for a breach to the Animal Welfare Act 1999.
Anthony John Hall appeared yesterday before His Honour Judge Connell for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to one charge of ill-treatment of a dairy cow under section 29(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Mr Hall was convicted and fined $2,800 and ordered to pay Court costs of $132.89.
Mr Hall was responsible for the animal in this case, which had suffered from an advanced case of bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma, commonly known as “cancer eye”. The cow should have received specific veterinary treatment well before the advanced stages of the condition and had suffered unreasonable and unnecessary pain and distress because of this.
The diary cow had been dried off in April 2012 and was no longer being milked, it came to the attention of MPI on 22 May 2012 after Mr Hall had organised for its transport to a meat processing plant.
Waikato/BOP District Compliance Manager Brendon Mikkelsen says that MPI is happy with the court outcome in this case.
“The Dairy Code of Welfare 2010 requires that those responsible for dairy cattle must be competent at recognising ill-health or injury, and that they should take remedial action to ease any suffering as soon as they can.”
“MPI will continue to investigate Animal Welfare Complaints and encourages anyone who suspects cases of animal ill-treatment to report via 0800 00 83 33, calls will be kept confidential if necessary.”
For more information about New Zealand’s animal welfare system see http://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity-animal-welfare/animal-welfare
