“It’s been two years and multiple court hearings, and it’s left us wondering what was the point, really. It’s still pretty raw for both of us.”
After finding the fence cut, Love located the bull, Ferdinand, at the back of the paddock “in a pitiful but alert state” with arrows protruding from his neck and stomach and a deep wound on his shoulder.
The animal had to be euthanised by his partner’s brother, as it was unsafe for the vet to use drugs.
Its spokeswoman Anna de Roo said it was “a deliberate, depraved attack on an animal”.
“Aotearoa talks a big game about its animal welfare standards. But this case just shows how little regard the justice system has for animals and their wellbeing.”
Fewer than 1 per cent of animal welfare complaints each year led to prosecution, she said.
“Even when perpetrators are prosecuted, the penalties are often disturbingly light.”
