Sidney Vains: Marong sheep farmer gets ten-year ban in animal cruelty case

The animal cruelty case came from complaints that the farmer had failed to shear a mob of sheep for more than 12 months. (Picture: File)

A sheep farmer has been given a ten-year ban from owning sheep over animal cruelty. File picture: Zoe Phillips

A central Victorian sheep farmer has been fined and banned from owning sheep for 10 years over animal cruelty offences.

Sidney Vains, from Marong near Bendigo, was charged for failing to supervise a mob of sheep, failing to shear sheep with excess wool growth and failing to obey a Notice to Comply.

He pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court earlier this month and was fined $3000 without conviction and ordered to pay $117 in costs, as well as the ten-year disqualification.

Agriculture Victoria said between May and November 2019 officers investigated complaints that he had failed to shear a mob of sheep for more than 12 months, and that two of his sheep were unable to walk as a result of not being shorn. One had to be euthanised on humane grounds.

Agriculture Victoria animal health and welfare program manager Daniel Bode said the suffering could have been avoided if the farmer had shorn his sheep on an annual basis, which is the accepted farming practice.

The court outcome came only a few days after a farmer received a lifetime ban from being in charge of livestock in Ballarat Magistrates’ Court — a first for a prosecution led by Agriculture Victoria.

The Weekly Timesrevealed this month animal cruelty complaints to Agriculture Victoria had plummeted, but the total value of fines given to offenders annually has significantly increased in the past year.

The largest fines in the last three years were $70,000 and $90,000 to two livestock farming brothers.

Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint about livestock welfare can call Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or email [e-mail].