Published on www.stuff.co.nz on 07/05/2019
A Taihape farmer is banned from owning or managing farm animals for five years, after allowing dozens of ewes to die.
Animal welfare officers were greeted with a grisly sight when they went to William “Bill” Chase’s farm.
Thirty ewes were decomposing, while 22 had to be euthanised, and 100 had extremely bad body condition.
Chase, 65, was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court on Thursday to three months’ home detention for ill-treating his flock.
The Ministry for Primary Industries discovered the ill-treatment when they visited his farm in August 2017.
It’s animal welfare compliance manager, Gray Harrison, said it was an extremely unpleasant scene.
“It was obvious Mr Chase had shown a complete lack of animal husbandry and supervision including a failure to provide enough food for the ewes in his care and failing to sheer, crutch, dag and drench them.”
It could have been avoided if Chase supervised and looked after his animals property, Harrison said.
“The condition of the animals in Mr Chases’ care was totally unacceptable.”
Sheep always needed to be checked regularly and required an even closer eye when fully-fleeced, close to lambing and in poor condition, Harrison said.
Anyone with animal welfare complaints can confidentially contact the ministry on 0800 00 83 33.