650 infested, malnourished sheep euthanized
Bendigo, VIC (AU)Date: Dec 2005
Disposition: Alleged
Abuser names unreleased
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Six hundred and fifty badly infested and malnourished sheep and lambs had to be killed on December 24, 2005 after a disturbing case of animal cruelty on a property north of Bendigo.
Department of Primary Industries staff had the unpleasant task of euthanasing 140 of the sheep as soon as they were seized from a property at Leitchville, near Kerang. The remaining sheep were taken to an abattoir.
DPI acting manager of animal health Tristan Jubb, a veterinarian, said the animals were seized after their owner repeatedly ignored advice and warnings about the stock. "We made many visits to the farm and many attempts to speak to the owner," Dr Jubb said. '�We urged him to do something about the infestation of flystrike his animals were suffering and to move them on to better pastures, which were available; we were visiting him every second day. ��But that was ignored and the situation was deteriorating.
��Because the farmer refused to take action a seizure was authorised, and we had the unfortunate duty of putting the sheep down on Christmas Eve." Dr Jubb said the DPI would attempt to prosecute the farmer for cruelty to animals. He said department officials had taken more than 100 photos of the farm and the neglected sheep to use as evidence, if required.
Biosecurity Victoria executive director Peter Bailey confirmed the farmer had been unco-operative and had ignored numerous requests by DPI staff to get the sheep treated. He said a week before the DPI moved in, the owner had been served with a final notice DPI action, urging him to take action and remove the likelihood of the sheep continuing to suffer. ��Because he took no action, DPI was forced to act to prevent further suffering," Mr Bailey said. ��The sheep on the property had been grossly neglected, most were malnourished and many were suffering extreme cases of flystrike.
��One-hundred-and-forty were so sick they had to be put down immediately, and the rest were taken to an abattoir where they will be humanely slaughtered."
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