A goat farmer from the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne has been fined $10,000 and disqualified from being the owner or person in charge of any farm animal for ten years after pleading guilty to three acts of animal cruelty.
The farmer pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated cruelty and one of cruelty, the first resulting in the serious disablement of a large number of his goats that had to be euthanased. The second aggravated cruelty charge resulted in further deaths and the serious disablement of others that also had to be euthanased. The cruelty charge related to failing to remove rubbish in which a goat became trapped.
The accused was the owner and person in charge of a large number of goats at a property in Wollert during two separate periods of offending — December 2017 and September 2018.
On each occasion Agriculture Victoria animal health and welfare officers observed dead or seriously disabled goats. The goats were found to be suffering from significant intestinal parasite burdens and in addition there was insufficient shelter provided to the goats.
This was all occurring despite the department's previous attempts to get the owner to comply with basic care requirements for these animals.
Agriculture Victoria Animal Health and Welfare Compliance Manager Daniel Bode said this serves as a reminder for producers that they must adequately manage their animals; this includes general husbandry requirements such as drenching for intestinal parasites and the provision of shelter particularly when weather events are predicted.
Despite the accused's lack of prior convictions, age and significant character references, the Magistrate wanted to send a strong message against this type of cruelty.
