By MICHELLE HERBISON
A NEGLECTFUL farmer’s two cows with painful eye cancer waited months to be put out of their misery before an anonymous complaint alerted Department of Primary Industries to their plight.
Ivan Barber, 69, of Sutherlands Creek, was convicted and fined $5000 in Geelong Magistrates’ Court this week.
Barber pleaded guilty to five charges including aggravated cruelty and unreasonably failing to provide treatment to his sick cows.
Department of Primary Industries prosecutor Scott Ward told the court the five and three month-old cows were euthanased after an officer found tumours up to 17cm wide on their faces.
“The accused became aware of the presence of the disease in winter 2012 but it remained untreated until 7 January 2013 when an animal health officer attended the property,” Mr Ward said.
Barber told the department he knew about one cow’s cancer but was unaware of the second.
“We should’ve bumped it off in winter but didn’t get it done. I don’t know how to treat it other than to knock them off,” he said.
The court heard that a Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act required eye cancer to be treated as soon as noticed and that Hereford cattle required more-frequent inspections.
The cancers led to painful inflammation, bleeding and leaking, which attracted flies.
“This overstimulation causes pain and continued suffering,” the court heard.
Barber’s defence said he planned to “humanely destroy” the animal during mustering rather than shoot it from a distance.
“It was a very wet period late last year, making it impossible to muster the cattle.”
Barber failed to notice the second animal’s cancer because he had been feeding the animals at night to avoid high winds, his defence said.
“He does not doubt for one moment that both animals would’ve suffered significant pain.”
Magistrate Michael Coghlan took into account submissions that Barber was a respected long-standing CFA and Victorian Farmers Federation volunteer.
“You’ve been a farmer for a long time. These offences are serious,” Mr Coghlan said.
“Somebody’s got to do something for the animals because they can’t put their hand up and say, ‘This bloke’s not looking after me’.”
