A 62-year-old Tooan farmer has been convicted of 53 counts of animal cruelty after pleading guilty at Hamilton Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.
The man was fined $8000 plus $140 in costs.
He received a three-year court order that requires him to engage a farm manager to manage his sheep and was fined a further $400, without conviction, for assaulting investigating officers.
Between 2012 and 2014, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) representatives found sheep on his farm suffering from starvation, worm burdens and flystrike.
DEDJTR prosecutor Adrian Serratore said in April 2013, the accused consigned emaciated sheep to the Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange, some of which had to be euthanised on arrival.
Magistrate Lesser appreciated that the accused had been through some difficult times but emphasised that the lack of proper supervision and management caused cruelty to the animals. He said it was difficult to comprehend how the animals must have felt prior to their death.
Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986, livestock owners have a legal obligation to ensure that appropriate welfare standards are maintained for animals in their care or charge.
The Code of Practice for the Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Sheep in Victoria is available from DEDJTR offices or