The pasture the sheep and lambs were grazing on was unsuitable for their nutritional needs. File photo. Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
A Rangitikei farmer has been jailed for more than two years and disqualified from being in charge of animals indefinitely over the preventable deaths of lambs and sheep.
Peter James Valentine, 63, was sent to prison for 28 months when he appeared in the Taihape District Court today for sentencing on 12 charges under the Animal Welfare Act.
The Ministry for Primary Industries said three of these charges were wilful ill-treatment of animals - the highest level under the Act.
Valentine was also ordered to pay $10,710 in costs for veterinary services and mustering fees.
MPI said many of the lambs and sheep died from flystrike and other parasites and the animal deaths were "entirely avoidable".
MPI spokesperson Gray Harrison said Valentine failed to live up to the responsibility to care for an animal's welfare.
He said when animal welfare inspectors visited Valentine's Taihape property, they found 24 dead lambs and three others that had to be euthanised.
The remaining 173 lambs were affected by parasites, flystrike, emaciation and were generally too small in size. They found the pasture the animals were grazing on was unsuitable for their nutritional and welfare needs.
MPI said Valentine was an experienced farmer and farmed about 2360 hectares across six hill country properties.
A later follow-up inspection of Valentine's five other properties found a similar situation.
MPI issued written warnings and advice but little had been done to improve the animals' situation when inspectors returned two weeks later.
MPI strongly encourages any member of the public who is aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone 0800 00 83 33.
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