Horses left to rot in the sun

One of the horses on the Wairarapa farm. Photo / Supplied

Six former racehorses have died and another three have been surrendered to the SPCA in a shocking case of animal neglect in northern Wairarapa.

The thoroughbred horses, their carcasses bloated and rotting in paddocks and streams, were discovered on a farm north of Pahiatua after a concerned resident alerted the SPCA.

The association's president Val Ball and a veterinarian visited the farm this week. Ball said they discovered 19 horses had originally been kept on the farm but two had died last year, and another four in the past six weeks.

All had most likely died of worm burden, a parasitic condition that attacked the gut and caused scouring and weight loss, although only one death could be officially attributed to that, she said.

The remaining 13 horses were in various stages of malnourishment and neglect, with three surrendered into SPCA hands and others likely to follow.

Ball said it did not seem like a case of maltreatment as much as one of extreme neglect.

"It's a case of inadequate care and attention," she said.

"I'm not sure that the owner was even aware that he had so many dead horses on his land."

Ball said the owner was not facing charges at this stage as he was co-operating and had surrendered animals.

How he handled care, feeding and sanitation for the remaining horses could determine whether he was prosecuted.

Tararua veterinarian Steve Harvey said the man was well known in animal welfare circles. Police had visited last year after a report of another neglect case and an alleged threat that was made against welfare staff who planned to visit the property.

Ball said the case was shocking but was simply a more extreme version of a very common problem.

"We're full to the brim with cats and dogs and kittens and puppies, and it's all because people take on animals and then realise they can't handle the responsibility."

A man allegedly killed a cat in South Auckland while drinking at a party.

Selu Bond Moala, 18, from Otara, has been charged with wilfully ill-treating a domestic cat by hitting it with a bottle at Otara on March 5.

Neighbour Gina Falaniko, 29, said her children, aged 5, 4 and 2 had adopted the cat three months ago.

"My kids just loved the cat because they had no pets. They would feed it and play with it," she said.

After coming home one night to a party next door, they heard a loud noise and found the cat dead.

"My kids came outside. My little boy called Leilani and tried to wake her up.

"All my kids were crying, especially my little boy because he didn't know what had happened," she said.

Moala appeared in the Manukau District Court on March 11 and was remanded on bail without plea to April 4. Wairarapa Times-Age,

- Additional reporting Joanne Carroll