New Zealand Farmers Fined for Animal Neglect

by Kathy Adams

A pair of farmers in New Zealand recently were ordered to pay a fine of approximately $121,165 after pleading guilty to failing to properly care for thousands of sheep.

In addition to receiving the fine, Keith Falconer and his wife Susan were prohibited from owning sheep for five years.

The couple had been under investigation by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) for about two years. During the period, MAF officials euthanized more than 800 of the Falconers’ sheep that had become so emaciated their health could not be restored.

"We found animals that were too weak to rise," said a MAF spokesperson. "It was not simply a question of starvation, but all the associated cruelty."

The MAF had recommended that the Falconers be sent to jail, but the presiding judge chose not to imprison them because the magnitude of the neglect was unprecedented.

"The number of animals, the period of neglect, the lack of concern, the instructions given to staff and the number of deaths all point to this being serious offending indeed," said the judge.

The Falconers’ two farms are now being run by the couple’s son.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.