Dead Horses: Labourer Prosecuted

Chronicle (Levin), 6 November 1948, Page 5

Dead Horses: Labourer Prosecuted

AUCKLAND, Nov. 5. " Following the discovery by a constable and S.P.C.A. inspector of three dead liorSes oh his property' at Titirangi on June 30, a labourer, Percy Wilfred Browne, appeared on summons before Mr. H. Jenner Wily S.M., charged with, t'ailing to supply his horses with suflU cient food and shelter. Defendanf denied the charge. Jolin Hollingworth, an inspector of the S.P.C.A., said he vlsited defendant's property on June 30. Three horses' were lying dead in a paddock. There wese nine other horses on the property and they were in poor condition. He considered there was insufiicient feed in the paddock for the horses and the horses that were alive were emaciated and in weak condition through lack of proper food. Defendant had lfeen wafned previously about caring .for his horses. Witness had never seen a worse case of neglect and nialnutrition of horses in his 21 years' experience as an inspector for tlie S.P.C.A. in Auckland. Constable O 'Sullivan' said he saw three dead horses when he visited the propeprty on June 30. In a statement whieh he toolc from defendant On July 1, defendant said he had used the horses for a riding school whieh he had lun. Defendant said he considered there was sufficient grass in the paddock for the horses whieh w.ere all aged animals. Witness added that he visited "the property again on August 25 and saw another three horses lying dead in the paddock. There were no signs of hay or chaff in the paddock. Called by defendant, Millicent Browne, wife of defendant, said she fed the horses every night that she stayed at Titirangi. In July she fed them cliafP, meal and hay. .Tohn Miles, farmer, of Titirangi, said that he considered there was good shelter on defendant 's property for the horses. The deaths were due to lack of mineral in the soil. The hearing was adjourned.