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Tethered goat found dead
Te Kuiti SPCA gets tough on goat neglect!
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Animal neglect stuns SPCA -This article was found in the Waitomo News , Thursday , August 16 , 2012 , the full report can be viewed here ,
http://www.waitomonews.co.nz/issues/2012.08/2012.08.16.WN.pdf
By RO BBIE KAY
FARM animals kept in poor conditions
in Te Kuiti township are a growing
problem for the region’s SPCA.
Two weeks ago following a complaint,
SPCA officers went to a Tonga
St property where 15 wild goats were
being kept.
Te Kuiti/North King Country SPCA
inspector Maria McEwan-Jones found
the goats shut in a very small enclosure
beside a garage. The emaciated
goats had no food, filthy water and
were on urine-soaked hay.
Four goats – one of which a vet
judged “more dead than alive” – were
euthanised and the rest removed on
the vet’s advice.
Mrs McEwan-Jones says Te Kuiti
transport company Lime Haulage
was very supportive, allowing SPCA
staff to use their yards overnight until
arrangements could be made for the
surviving animals.
“They were taken by a professional
goat culler in Aria and, although this
may seem sad, the poor things had
a far better ending that what they
were facing.”
Twenty-five poultry (double the
permitted urban limit of 12) were also
on the property, fenced into a small
muddy area along with a nanny goat
and two kids.
The nanny and one kid were rescued,
while the other was put down.
“The drinking water was disgustingly
filthy and there was nowhere for
the chickens to roost off the ground,”
says Mrs McEwan-Jones.
“I am watching the situation closely
to ensure more chickens are not
returned to this property.”
BOG HOLE: Twenty-five poultry were at the same Te Kuiti address, along with a nanny
goat and her two kids, in a small muddy area without any clean drinking water.
the goats were for slaughter for a religious festival.
“We appreciate people’s cultural views and have
no objection to that, however, there are very strict
animal welfare laws governing how animals in New
Zealand can be kept and this was not acceptable.
We will take action if the Animal Welfare Act is
being broken.”
She says there has recently been a spate of urban
livestock welfare issues including six cattle kept
in a paddock with no feed. Following the SPCA’s
intervention, they were moved to better pasture
by their owner.
HORSES DESTROYE D
More than one horse tethered in the town has
had to be humanely destroyed recently because of
starvation. Another, tied to a clothesline, slipped
strangling itself.
“We have rescued several goats not properly
tethered or cared for – one was on the point of death
by strangulation when it was rescued, and one had
been attacked by a dog,” says Mrs Squier.
“And a Te Kuiti woman arrived home from work
one day to find two tiny kids abandoned on her
doorstep.”
Mrs Squier says they have not being able to
find out where the kids came from or the fate of
their mother.
RIGHT ENVIRON MENT
She says people keeping animals more suited to
a rural environment in town must provide for them
every day – which means water, food and shelter.
“The thing is, in town someone is always watching,
so you can’t get away with ill-treating them.”
Mrs McEwan-Jones agrees.
“Yes, we live in a rural town, but it’s still suburbia
and a small plot out the back of the house is
not a suitable place to keep grazing animals which
need fresh pasture and space.
“A few chickens is fine, but large grazing animals
like horses and cattle is not workable.”
She says large number of chooks will attract
vermin, “annoy the heck out of neighbours” and
become too hard to look after properly.
“There are a lot of regulations around keeping
livestock and you are responsible for your animals’
welfare. If you don’t do the right thing you can find
yourself in hot water.