Tararua District farmer sentenced to ban, community detention for neglecting sheep

A Tararua District farmer has been banned from owning farm animals after neglecting hundreds of sheep. Photo / Michael Craig

By RNZ

A Tararua District farmer has been banned from owning farm animals and placed on six months’ community detention after neglecting hundreds of sheep.

On Monday, Noel Thomas Cunningham, 64, of Woodville, was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court after pleading guilty to three charges laid by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) under the Animal Welfare Act.

MPI said Cunningham’s lack of care resulted in 55 sheep being euthanised because they were so thin and affected by parasites.

An MPI animal welfare inspector and two veterinarians checked 322 animals in total.

They found 25 recently dead sheep and several dead newborn lambs.

“When animal welfare inspectors visited the farm, they found infrastructure - including fencing and water reticulation, particularly on the 40-hectare sheep block - showed maintenance and management had been lacking for some time,” said MPI animal welfare and National Animal Identification and Tracing compliance manager Gray Harrison.

“Most of the sheep fences were not stockproof, and pasture was tired and indicative of poor grazing management.

“An open-fronted shed containing multiple sheep carcasses, along with shallow graves in an adjacent paddock, indicated a history of poor care and management of the sheep.

“Many of the existing sheep were underweight and displayed signs of lice infestation, and some had to be euthanised to prevent further stress and suffering.”

Harrison said the level of neglect was unacceptable and when MPI finds evidence of this kind of behaviour it takes action.

Cunningham has been banned from owning or being in charge of farm animals for two years, as well as serving the community detention.

- RNZ