45 cattle seized from property

Some of the cattle seized by the SPCA after a woman was banned from owning any animals for 10 years. Photo / John Stone

A woman who has been banned from owning animals for 10 years and has a long history of neglecting animals has had 45 cattle seized from a Whatitiri property.

Anne Power, who lives near Whangarei, was last week ordered to hand over all animals she owned to the SPCA after being found guilty of recklessly ill treating a horse that died from starvation in 2013.

The distressing story of how the old, emaciated horse died an agonising death had Judge Nevin Dawson, in the Auckland District Court last Wednesday, describe the case as "sickening" and Power as having shown "wilful blindness" to the animal's welfare.

When the horse's death at a lifestyle property at Riverhead, north-west of Auckland, was investigated by the SPCA, a neighbour reported seeing it collapse and die, then seeing a dog gnawing on the corpse in full view of neighbouring houses. The horse was severely starved, had dental problems, nasal lesions, pneumonia and other lung infection, chronic worm infestation, protruding hip bones, spine and ribs, severe muscle wastage, rain scald and loss of hair, the court heard.

Senior Auckland SPCA investigator Greg Reid said Power was one of the worst recidivist offenders he had come across. He said the Auckland SPCA uplifted the 45 mainly highland cattle from the Whatitiri property on Monday was in response to the court-imposed order that Power must not own any animals for 10 years and had to forfeit any still in her ownership. The animals appeared to be in good condition and were to be sold at the Kauri Stock Sales today.

Power, a former nurse, is a self-described animal lover who has previously been labelled an "animal hoarder" and has a long history with welfare authorities. Since 1998 when she was convicted for neglect when failing to feed cows and horses properly, she has had other convictions, been banned from owning dogs for five years after two dogs of her dogs attacked a person, and chalked up more than 50 breaches of council bylaw infringements.

In 2003, Power fought an eight-year legal battle after the SPCA seized dozens of animals from an Auckland property and charged her for allegedly neglecting animals. Many were allegedly thin, sick and almost feral due to the lack of care, and some needed to be put down. Much to the SPCA's dismay, in 2012 a judge ordered the return of five dogs, 18 horses and two llamas to Power. She was by then living at Riverhead, and is now in Northland. It is believed she does not live at the Whatitiri location where the cattle were.