A Waikato man who let his ram's horn grow into its face, squeezing its eye out, has been sentenced after he pleaded guilty to failing to look after the animal.
Content warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of an injured animal.
It comes after SPCA inspectors were notified of a flyblown ram at a Waikato farm in February 2022.
When inspectors visited the farm, they checked the animal, noticing it had sustained horrific injuries.
They said its "head was lowered to the ground, and it appeared to be disorientated with no sense of direction".
The ram was visually impaired, shaking its head constantly, with the inspectors describing a "dark line of discharge" down the side of its face.
They found the ram's left horn had curled against its head, with a raw wound above the eye.
"Flies were swarming around the animal's head, with clear signs of it being flyblown," a spokesperson said.
What alarmed inspectors most was the ram's right horn, which had grown through its face — entering behind the eye, which was "protruding out of its socket and was black".
SPCA interim chief executive Robyn Kiddle was "distressed" by the fact the ram's owners hadn't noticed sooner as the injury would have caused "immense pain".
"This was a horrific injury caused by overgrown horns that should have been remedied weeks, if not months, earlier," Kiddle said.
"Instead, the animal was neglected and left to suffer in pain and distress, which never should have happened."
The owner's wife said she had known about the injury since 2021, monitoring it. She says they planned to euthanise the animal when a vet returned from their trip.
In an interview, the woman said she called a vet to enquire about euthanasia and dehorning, but two local vets had no record of the call.
She also said she didn't realise anything was wrong with the ram's head, as she thought they had just circled and blocked its vision.
The woman told inspectors "she'd never had the ram's horns cut and did not get close to the animal as she was scared that it would attack her".
The SPCA immediately called a vet to the farm, where they put the ram down "to end its suffering".
The owner told the SPCA he owned sheep and worked away from home, last at the property two days before inspectors arrived.
He said he didn't realise the horn was ingrown, thinking it was healthy.
Kiddle was shocked at this explanation.
"There were clear signs that this poor ram was in pain and distress, yet nothing was done to ease its suffering.
"There was absolutely no excuse to ignore these signs nor leave it in such a terrible state.
"I can't begin to imagine the pain this poor animal was in, and we're incredibly grateful that SPCA were notified."
The man was sentenced last week at the Huntly District Court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide for the physical, health and behavioural needs of an animal.
He has been disqualified from owning stock animals, was sentenced to 100 hours of community work and was ordered to pay $104.60 in reparations. He will also have to pay $209 in prosecution costs and $130 in court costs.
The man's wife has been ordered to pay $104.60 in reparations. She had also been charged but was discharged without conviction.
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