A 68 year old Derrinal farmer has been fined $5,000 with conviction in the Bendigo Magistrates Court for failing to feed his cattle.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The farmer pleaded guilty to five charges of failing to provide his cattle with proper and sufficient food and two charges of aggravated cruelty.
Agriculture Victoria Senior Officer Animal Welfare Dr Rachael Holmes said officers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 found a herd of 87 red poll cattle in an emaciated body condition in September, 2015.
“There was no available feed for the cattle and they were solely reliant on the provision of supplementary feed.”
“Two cows were found down and unable to rise and were subsequently destroyed by Agriculture Victoria officers,” she said.
Dr Holmes said a further seven cows and two calves were also found to have recently died.
In his submission to the court, Prosecutor Tom Oldfield stated the farmer had failed in his duty to care for his cattle to the appropriate standards, by allowing them to fall into a state of emaciation resulting in death.
During sentencing Magistrate Walsh stated a deterrent needed to be directed to other farmers who didn’t treat their cattle in a humane manner and that farmers should know better than to allow their cattle to fall into such condition.
As well as the conviction and the $5,000 fine, the farmer was ordered to pay service costs.
Magistrate Walsh advised the fine would have been double had the farmer had any prior history of cruelty and had not made a plea of guilty.
“The state of these cattle wasn’t a condition that had happened quickly, but over many months of failing to provide proper and sufficient feed.”
Dr Holmes said the case served as a reminder that it is an offence for livestock owners to fail to provide for their welfare.
“All reasonable attempts must be made to ensure suffering and weak animals are euthanased, and proper and sufficient feed is supplied to livestock,” she said.
