ALLEGED CRUELTY TO HORSE

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1948, Page 2

ALLEGED CRUELTY TO HORSE

MAGISTRATE DISMISSES CASE Stating that it did not appear to be defenda'nt's fault, Mr._ A. M. Goulding, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court, Otaki, on -Thursday, di§missed a charge against George Frederick Mann of permitting - a horse to be ill-treated and allowing it to suffer because of the halter and ehain it was wearing. Mr. H. Burns appeared for the Society for ■ the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals an'd Mr. B. H. Rhodes represented defendant. Mr. Burns said a passerby had noticed the horse. and thinking that it was in distress, reported the matter to the society.' The local police had also been communicated with. The horse had been caught by the society's inspec"tor mnd a constable. It had been found to be in poor condition and suffering as the result of wearing a halter, to which was attached a chain about 18 inches long, preventing the horse from feeding properly. There were" some sores on the animal. The inspector had waited on defendant, who-admitted ownership of the horse b'ut stated that he was unaware tha;t it had suffered in any way. Mrs. Schisber gave evidence that she had noticed the condition of the horse and had drawn the attention of others to it. George Chittick testified to seeing the horse, which was in poor condition and hampered in feeding by the halter and chain. The society's inspector, Robert J. Avery, said he had inspected the horse in company with a constable. It was in poor condition and suffering from some sores. He produced photographs of the animal. He maintained that the halter •produced in court had been washed, and that the chain attached was longer than the one shown in court. He had seen defendant, who stated that he had given the horse over to a young man named Roy Booth. The animal had been inspected by a veterinary surgeon from Levin.

Mr. Rhodes commented that the halter had been washed. It had been left out in the rain. Raymond Long, veterinary surgeon, Levin, stated that the inspector had called on him and. asked him to inspect the horse, which he had done. He had found it to be in fairly good condition bodily. | The halter had caused some in4,yry„ (but he did not think it would altogether' prevent" "it from feeding. Roy Booth told the court . that defendant had asked him .to put the halter on the horse and turn it out. He had a second horse of defendant's, both of them being under his .care for a few days. Defendant said he owned nine horses. The one in que'stion had been 'turned out on the property of Mr. Cunningham, who assured him that there was plenty of feed and water. Booth had charg§ of the two horses in Otaki. The one in question was in low condition, and that was the reason for it being turned out. Booth had sole charge, and had been paid for his work. Booth had frequently reported to him that the horse was alright. Th'e halter produced was the one used on it. As stated above, the charge was dismissed by thevmagistrate.