Northland Farmer Fined $15k for Calf Neglect

A Northland man has been fined $15,000 after animal welfare inspectors uncovered shocking neglect of calves he was meant to be raising, RNZ reported.

Over three separate visits to the Dargaville property of Vivian Philip Flett, inspectors found nine calves dead and were forced to euthanise four more due to their poor condition.

Of the 250 calves inspected, only 12 were at a healthy weight, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The calves were found living on poor-quality pasture and being fed kumara and mouldy hay, MPI’s regional animal welfare manager Brendon Mikkelsen said in a statement.

“These welfare problems were avoidable if Mr Flett had been providing sufficient feed and meeting the physical health and behavioural needs of his animals,” Mikkelsen said. “It was his responsibility to do the right thing by his animals. That means providing quality supplementary feed, identifying health problems and seeking timely veterinary help — all of which he failed to do.”

Flett was sentenced this week on five charges under the Animal Welfare Act and ordered to pay the $15,000 fine. He was also directed to reimburse MPI $4312 for veterinary costs.