Cruelty revealed

Each week a case of animal cruelty from the Manawatu is reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, making this region the fourth worst for animal mistreatment of 15 regions in New Zealand.

Data obtained by the Manawatu Standard under the Official Information Act revealed the region accounted for 67 of the 543 animal welfare complaints received nationwide.

Among those cases was a man sentenced last month for failing to prevent suffering and failing to ensure the health and behavioural needs of sheep.

Rongotea community committee chairman and prominent farmer Ashley Gloyn was fined for ill-treating sheep on his property.

He was fined $6500, to go to the SPCA, ordered to pay vet expenses of $2455 and legal fees of $500.

The 61-year-old was not banned from owning animals, because positive changes had been made to his farm.

SPCA inspector Danny Auger said the SPCA mostly dealt with cases of domestic animal mistreatment, but two of the bigger cases it handled last year were on farms.

‘‘One was a sheep farm fallover where over a 100 sheep lost their lives due to very poor management, that certainly sticks in your mind.

‘‘And another was a hobby farmer who was just very inadequately looking after calves where they were starving to death,’’ he said.

The SPCA received about 200 complaints last year but the figure was well down on 2010.

‘‘Whether that’s because we have just had a bigger presence in the community this year or whether people think we are more approachable and will come to us to sort the problem rather than do something silly, I’m not sure.’’

Mr Auger said the primary role of both the SPCA and MAF was to prevent these cases from happening.

‘‘There is some ignorance with things like the correct food for some animals. We also see that people actually care a little too much about their animals and when it’s time for their animals to be put to sleep they’re just holding onto them for for a little bit too long.

‘‘It’s those kinds of things where we have to push the issue, and although ignorance is no excuse in case of law, the role of an SPCA inspector is as an educator . . . and a law enforcement officer at the same time.’’

In 2010, the region tallied 68 complaints compared with 582 nationwide.