Northland farming couple fined nearly $50,000 for animal neglect

A Northland couple has been banned from dairy farming after being found guilty of animal neglect.

A Northland farming couple has been fined nearly $50,000 and banned from dairy farming over poor treatment of their farm animals and a lack of feed, which caused “severely underweight” cattle.

Mathew and Josette Hudson, aged 78 and 73 respectively, were fined $29,000 plus $18,213 in costs for veterinarian services and farm consultant fees when they were sentenced in the Kaitāia District Court this week.

The pair, from Kaingaroa in the Far North, pleaded guilty to four charges under the Animal Welfare Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI].

MPI spokesman Brendon Mikkelsen said animal welfare inspectors visited the Hudsons’ farm in September 2020, following a complaint about the poor condition of their dairy herd and lack of feed.

Of the 242 cattle at the farm, 69 cows were below the minimum standard of body condition score, meaning they were too thin and needed urgent action to improve their condition.

Grass cover at their farm was uniformly low, and they were not providing supplementary feed to their dairy herd.

Inspectors found their cattle were producing less than 5 litres per cow a day, considerably less than they would be capable of if appropriately fed, Mikkelsen said.

“One of their cows was found suspended in hip clamps, severely underweight and incapable of supporting its own weight.

“The animal was suffering pain and distress for days from the abrasions on its bony hip area and it was euthanised to end its suffering.”

Mikkelsen said people in charge of animals are responsible for their health and well-being at all times.

“The Hudsons had kept this animal alive when they knew the animal was in extremely poor health and they did nothing until they were directed to by animal welfare inspectors.”

The inspectors concluded the Hudsons failed to provide proper and sufficient feed to all their animals.

“The Hudsons are experienced farmers who knew their responsibility to their animals and failed to live up to it.

“One of these cows was so thin, Mr Hudson used a tractor to drag it from a drain it was stuck in – leaving the animal with significant open wounds, which were not treated.

“When we find evidence of neglect and cruelty to production animals – we will prosecute.”

MPI urges anyone aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone 0800 00 83 33.

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.