Some in the farming community are calling for the owner of a cow sanctuary in North Canterbury to be prosecuted following the discovery of allegedly mistreated cattle.
The sanctuary was set up in 2017 with the aim of rescuing cows from slaughter.
Now the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is investigating the sanctuary after cows were found to be severely malnourished, starved and some impregnated by a loose bull.
Several of the cows have had to be put down while others have been re-homed.
Helping you help animals, also known as HUHA, have been working on the case alongside MPI and have been re-homing 140 of the cows.
Speaking to TVNZ1’s Breakfast, founder of HUHA Carolyn Press-McKenzie says the group were made aware of the sanctuary a few months ago.
“I think it was something that started with good intentions but then spiralled out of control,” Press-McKenzie says.
Gerard Daldry was tasked with transporting cattle from a Canterbury sanctuary which is under investigation by MPI. (Source: Other)
It was seeing images of the cows being euthanised by MPI which spurred HUHA to get involved to help save the cows.
“It wasn’t good. There was a large majority that were not in a good way and were not likely to survive.”
Out of the two herds which HUHA took charge of, five cows have been euthanised and many pregnancies had to be aborted as well as bulls castrated and dehorned, says Press-McKenzie.
“The general care that should go into them hadn’t been met and it had spiraled into a very epic situation.”
Press-McKenzie says to date the organisation has spent $80,000 on caring for the rescued cows.
There are still more cattle on the sanctuary which the owner wants to keep, however HUHA is asking for the sanctuary to be closed.
“We don’t mean that in a mean way, it’s just been overwhelming and sometimes you need to move on. We would like to see all the cows come into our care.”
Gerard Daldry, a farmer and truck driver who was tasked with transporting the cows to be rehomed, agrees.
He told Breakfast the condition of the cows when he arrived at the sanctuary was so bad they were too weak to put on his truck.
“Looking at them they were absolutely skin and bone and far too weak.”
He says the cattle had to feed over a long period of time before they were strong enough to be transported.
He says he thought the cows wouldn’t survive and believes the owner should be held to account for the condition of the sanctuary.
“For it to continue on is probably a dumb thing to do.”
MPI continues to investigate the sanctuary.
The owner told Breakfast that due to the nature of the sanctuary a large number of animals came to them in poor condition.
They admitted, however, becoming overwhelmed by the requests for help they received.
"I want to say an enormous thank you to the huge number of people who have helped me find homes."
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