Taihape court jails farmer Peter Valentine for neglect, bans ownership of any more animals

A Rangitikei farmer, Peter Valentine, has been jailed and banned from owning animals indefinitely after animal welfare inspectors found many lambs and sheep in a state of severe neglect on his property. Photo / 123RF

A farmer found with dead lambs on his property, while other sheep and lambs were found with parasites or were thin and malnourished, has been jailed and banned indefinitely from owning any more animals.

Peter James Valentine was sentenced in the Taihape District Court today to just over two years in prison on charges including the wilful ill-treatment of animals, which is the most serious charge under the Animal Welfare Act.

The 63-year-old Rangitīkei farmer was charged by the Ministry for Primary Industries, which said the deaths of lambs and sheep were preventable.

It had tried to intervene on several occasions with advice and direction on managing and treating the problems inspectors found.

When animal welfare inspectors first visited one block on Valentine’s property, they found 24 dead lambs and three others that had to be euthanised.

A further 173 lambs were affected by parasites and flystrike and were emaciated because of what inspectors found to be unsuitable pasture the animals were grazing on.

A later follow-up inspection of Valentine’s five other properties found a similar situation, with 18 dead sheep and several more suffering from severe flystrike, six of which had to be euthanised, said the MPI regional manager of animal welfare, Gray Harrison.

“These animals were subjected to unreasonable distress and pain because of a failure by Mr Valentine to properly address the welfare of his animals by ensuring effective parasite controls were in place.

“The death of these animals was entirely avoidable,” Harrison said.

After the visit, Valentine was advised, later warned, and then directed to manage the growing flystrike problem.

A further inspection of his property found 57 recently dead lambs caused by a lack of nutrition and parasite problems.

MPI said Valentine was an experienced farmer who managed about 2360ha across six hill country properties.

He claimed to have recently drenched the lambs when MPI intervened, but a veterinary report following post-mortem examination found most lambs died from significant gastrointestinal parasitism, which meant the animals could not have been drenched.

Valentine was also directed at the time to dehorn his cattle. It took two notices before he removed the horns of a steer that had one growing into its face, causing the animal pain and distress.

“Our message to those farmers who do not take appropriate action to care for their animals is that we will take action in the interest of the animals and where appropriate place the matter before the court,” Harrison said.

MPI encouraged any member of the public who was aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the animal welfare complaints, freephone 0800 00 83 33.

Valentine was also ordered to pay $10,710 in costs for veterinary services and mustering fees.

Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.