Animal cruelty: Wollert goat farmer fined 10k, banned from owning animals

A goat farmer has been hit with a $10,000 fine and banned from owning farm animals for 10 years after pleading guilty to three animal cruelty charges. (Picture: File)

A Victorian goat farmer has been found guilty of animal cruelty. Picture: File

A VICTORIAN goat farmer has been banned from owning farm animals for 10 years and fined $10,000 for animal cruelty.

The farmer, from Wollert in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated cruelty and one of cruelty, occurring in December 2017 and September 2018, at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court this week.

Agriculture Victoria said the first aggravated cruelty charge resulted in the “serious disablement” of a large number of his goats that had to be euthanased and the second 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.

Agriculture Victoria said its animal health and welfare officers observed dead or

seriously disabled goats on each occasion and that the goats were found to be suffering from significant intestinal parasite burdens and there was insufficient shelter provided.

Agriculture Victoria said it had made previous attempts to get the owner to comply with basic care requirements for the animals.

The department’s animal health and welfare compliance manager Daniel Bode said the outcome served as a reminder for producers that they must adequately manage their animals, including general husbandry requirements such as drenching for intestinal parasites and the provision of shelter.

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