22 October 2008
Repeat offenders prosecuted by MAF
A Dannevirke father and son, Ian and David Livingstone, have been convicted of offences laid by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Enforcement Group relating to the starvation of sheep in their care. These convictions come within a year of being convicted of the ill treatment of dogs in their care.
In the earlier case one of the ill treated dogs died of starvation on its chain within metres of the Livingstone's back door.
Ian Livingstone and his son David were today sentenced to a total 550 hours community service as well as being disqualified from owning or exercising authority over sheep and cattle for five years, and ordered to pay costs totalling $7700.00.
In July 2006 a MAF Animal Welfare Investigator visited the Livingstone's property in the Dannevirke area after receiving a complaint from a member of the public that there were dead and dying sheep on the property.
Initial assessment showed significant numbers of recently dead ewes all over the property and those ewes that were alive were generally in very poor, weak, condition. The amount of feed the sheep had been receiving and that available on the farm was clearly inadequate.
In total about 25% of the flock had already died and another 25% needed to be put down during the investigation as they were unfit for transporting and not saleable.
In their defence, the Livingstone's took the attitude that "where there's live sheep there's dead sheep". They stated they knew their sheep were in poor condition and that there had been some deaths, but believed if they persevered there would have been an improvement.
At no stage did they seek professional help even though they knew ewes were dying from starvation. Nor did they destock.
In the opinion of the investigating veterinarian the situation on the property was far from adequate. He commented that for a farmer to have 25% of his ewes die without taking any action was unacceptable.
MAF Investigations Manager Greg Reid said this was an unbelievable case of neglect.
"These individuals have already been prosecuted once by MAF and it is a shock that they seem unrepentant, so one wonders what it will take for their behaviour to change and for them to accept their poor animal husbandry philosophy is totally unacceptable.
They have completely ignored the needs of these animals and seem to rationalise their fate to being at the whim of nature. In a modern society with an economy largely dependent on primary production this is clearly not acceptable - and it seems that depriving them of the ability to have animals seems the only way to ensure that they appreciate their wrong doing and to protect animals from suffering at their hands in the future".
"While the environment has been fickle over the last couple of years with summer droughts in this area, good farmers make timely decisions and have animal welfare at the forefront of those decisions".
"I understand that disposing of animals may be a tough call to make in hard times, but holding on to them causes needless suffering".
Mr Reid added that failing to protect the welfare of stock is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. "The Act places a duty of care on everyone who owns or is in charge of animals to prevent pain, suffering and distress. In this case both the Livingstone's turned a blind eye to their animals' suffering with serious consequences; not just to those animals but now to the Livingstone's themselves through court action."
ENDS
Media Contact:
Lisa Gibbison | Communications Advisor | MAF Biosecurity New Zealand | Phone: 04 894 0432 | 029 894 0432
