A northern Victorian dairy farmer has pleaded guilty to several animal cruelty charges and been fined $10,000 in the Shepparton Magistrates' Court.
Andrew Ford, Nathalia, pleaded guilty to 13 charges of animal cruelty, including aggravated cruelty charges for nine cattle, which resulted in serious disablement of the cattle in his care.
Agriculture Victoria compliance manager Daniel Bode said that officers attended Mr Ford's property in mid-2019 after receiving an animal welfare complaint from a member of the public.
"The officers observed 19 individual cattle and a herd of 80 calves at the property that were severely underweight and suffered from significant worm burdens," Mr Bode said.
"Individual cattle were found lying down unable to stand or were already deceased when inspected.
"There was little feed available to the stock and they were in an emaciated state."
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In his ruling Magistrate David Faram said the possibility of livestock suffering due to drought should always be at the forefront of every farmer's mind, and therefore regarded the imposition of a substantial fine as appropriate.
Mr Bode said Agriculture Victoria officers' investigative work was fundamental in ensuring a conclusive result and called on producers to treat their animals humanely.
"Apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria's reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can, in turn, affect all producers and livestock owners," he said.
"This is a reminder to all livestock owners that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian government or our community."
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