KEY POINTS:
A farmer who admitted allowing hundreds of cattle on his properties to deteriorate to a state of severe emaciation has been ordered to pay $53,000 in costs.
Keith Thomas, from Wellsford north of Auckland, pleaded guilty in March to five charges under the Animal Welfare Act and was sentenced in Warkworth District Court yesterday.
As well as the costs, the court made an enforcement order for supervision of his property for two years.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) said Thomas had 622 cattle on three adjoining Topuni properties, one of which was assessed by inspectors in 2006 following a complaint by a member of the public.
The property was found to be run down, with no water or pasture for grazing and no supplementary feed, and the cattle were malnourished and having difficulty walking.
When MAF representatives visited the other farms they found more cattle in a poor condition, with evidence of deaths.
Thomas was told to urgently provide feed and water for the animals but he didn't comply, forcing authorities to take steps to move the catt le and test them.
Veterinary inspections identified chronic under-feeding and found 90 per cent of the cattle were in an emaciated condition with some showing signs of severe malnutrition. Fifty six of them had to be put down.
The court acknowledged the offending took place at a time when Thomas was "immobilised with despair" due to personal circumstances, but Judge Barbara Morris said the farming community needed to know such conduct was unacceptable.
The $53,000 figure related to the ongoing costs to others Thomas had created by his treatment of the cattle.
MAF investigations manager Greg Reid said he was surprised a farmer as experienced as Thomas could let the situation get so bad.
"I cannot accept that he didn't realise how serious the situation was and that his cattle had literally been starving to death for weeks," Mr Reid said.
He said farmers struggling to look after their stock could get assistance and advice through agencies such as the Rural Support Trusts, Federated Farmers, Inland Revenue, Winz and Lifeline.
- NZPA
