Starving farm animals suffered for months on property near Dargaville

This image showing dags on an unshorn sheep was less disturbing than others included in evidence against a lifestyle farmer, prosecuted for neglecting his animals. Photo / MPI

A breeding cow discovered by animal welfare officers on a property near Dargaville was so severely starved and arthritic that she struggled to stand up.

Adding to her ill health and suffering was a six-month-old calf that should have been weaned but was still reliant on her for milk.

The cow was among a group of neglected horses, sheep and cattle on plumber and lifestyle farmer Grant Roderick Low's 40ha property at Tangowahine.

Photographs of the starved and neglected animals were "hard to look at", Judge Philip Rzepecky said when sentencing Low, 55, in Whangārei District Court this week.

Low was fined $5100 and ordered to pay vet costs of about $3200 after pleading guilty to three Animal Welfare Act charges of failing to provide proper and sufficient feed to two horses and 10 cattle; failing to shear and dag four sheep to protect them significant injury, and keeping the breeding cow alive when it was in such a condition that it was suffering unnecessary pain or distress.

Two Ministry for Primary Industries inspectors and a vet went to the property last October after a complaint.

Two horses were found to have been in pain and suffering for several months due to a lack of feed and their low Body Condition Scores (BCS), which on a scale from zero to five, only rated at one.

The animals were on a property in Tangowahine, near Dargaville. Photo / Michael Cunningham

There were about 45 cattle on the farm, including a bull with a BCS of one (emaciated) and two other bulls with a BCS of two (very thin).

Of 10 cattle the inspectors saw, three had BCS of one and seven had BCS of two.

Minimum standards in the Sheep and Beef Cattle Code of Welfare 2018 state that if any beef animal shows signs of being very thin, or if the BCS of any beef animal falls to one, urgent remedial action must be taken to improve the condition or the animal must be humanely destroyed.

The best practice is for all beef animals to be kept between three and four BCS.

Depending on the circumstances, it can take weeks to months for an animal to go from a three rating down to one.

The inspectors noted a lack of grass on the property and a lack of supplementary feed contributed to the animals' poor condition.

Low said he fed out bales of silage once a week but the inspectors noted 45 cattle would need one large bale a day.

The breeding cow was in such a severe condition that her BCS was zero. She was lame in her front right and left hind feet, and was reluctant to stand up.

Despite being aware of her predicament, Low kept her alive. He claimed he was intending to euthanise her, but did not finally do so until directed by MPI.

Four sheep in a flock grazing with the cattle, needed shearing and dagging, to protect from health concerns, including fly strike.

Low admitted the sheep needed shearing and docking because they had "dirty bums". His only comment in respect of the other animals was, "There's nothing to say, I know I've stuffed up".

Counsel Pablo Hamber said Low's actions were not deliberate; he was a victim of his circumstance as he was relying on his family to look after the farm while he was busy in his plumbing business. But the family had some bad luck, with his wife badly injured. There was a lot going on and Low was under a lot of pressure.

Judge Rzepecky said Low's background was such that he would have known better. These charges were no doubt embarrassing for him.

Setting an $8000 fine as a starting point for the three charges together, the judge noted aggravating factors as the long time the animals suffered, their vulnerability and dependence on Low.

There was no need for any uplift, the judge said. Low had no prior offending, was of otherwise good character, had a busy job, and looked after his family well, the judge said.

The sentence was reduced by a 10 per cent discount for those factors and his response to the problems when directed by MPI, and by a 25 per cent discount for his guilty pleas.