Complaints about mishandling of bobby calves

Press, 21 November 1981, Page 3

Complaints about mishandling of bobby calves

The actions of a truck driver are being investigated under the Animals Protection Act as the result of a recent “Country Calendar” television programme. The programme, on October 25, was about a West Coast dairy farm being managed by a woman. In it a truck driver was shown loading bobby calves on to a truck. Several complaints have been made to the Ministry of Agriculture that the bobby calves were mishandled. ': As well, a letter to the “The Press” was forwarded to the regional livestock officer of the Ministry, Mr L. P. Wells, for comment. The letter said: “I was disgusted by the action of the truck driver who collects the bobby calves. He simply picked up this poor unfortunate animal as thought it was a bag of rubbish/’

Mr Wells said that no animal health division officer was present at the filming of the programme. However, the matter was being investigated as a possible act of ill-treatment and appropriate action might follow. Mr Wells said that livestock officers, at very frequent intervals, made random inspections- of bobby calves at the farm gate and at various other places while they were en route to the freezing works. “Further continuous monitoring of the handling of the calves is obtained from the examination of the killing records where the incidence of bruising is recorded of all calves slaughtered,” Mr Wells said. The inquiry is expected to be completed by the end of next week.