Man convicted of serious animal cruelty offences
An man has been convicted of three serious animal cruelty offences at Picton Local Court, nearly a year after a thousand hens were found dead and decomposing at a Lakesland property.
An Albion Park man has been convicted of three serious animal cruelty offences at Picton Local Court, nearly a year after a thousand hens were found dead and decomposing at a Lakesland commercial egg farm.
Shaun Robert Stone, 36, was convicted and fined $6500 by Magistrate Ian Cheetham on Monday, with half of the fine to be paid to RSPCA NSW. He was also placed on a 16 month community corrections order.
Stone pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated animal cruelty on 18 chickens, one count of failing to provide veterinary treatment to 4000 chickens for external parasites and respiratory infections, and one count of failing to provide proper and sufficient food and water to 4000 chickens.
RSPCA NSW inspectors, police, a Local Land Services District veterinarian and an expert avian veterinarian inspected the Lakesland property on June 24 last year and located the thousand dead hens in a shed.
Court documents reveal a further 4000 live hens were in the same shed of the decomposing birds, with 80 per cent of the live hens underweight and in poor condition. Most of the birds were severely infested with lice.
The flock of 4000 hens were later humanely euthanized by a private contractor, in light of a post mortem examination of one hen revealing a positive result for Infectious
Laryngotracheitis (ILT), a highly contagious and incurable respiratory disease.
Stone has been barred from owning or taking possession of any animal for five years.
RSPCA NSW deputy chief inspector Aaron Purcell said it was a pleasing outcome.
“The risk for disease, parasites and suffering is particularly high in an intensive farming environment,” he said.
“It is incredibly important that the owners and operators of intensively farmed animals have systems in place which ensure for the provision of proper and sufficient food and water, and for the animals to receive necessary veterinary treatment in order to maintain a certain welfare standard throughout the entire population.”
“This was a complicated case for the Inspectorate and we are pleased to have reached this court outcome.”
All charges were brought under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
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