PREVENTION OF CRUELTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 4

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY.

ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OF HORSES,

The fortnightly comniitteo : meeting of the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held, in. the Chamber'of Commerce, last evening.. Mr. J. Ilott presided, and four other members of tho committee were present. .

Inspector-Seed, in his report, said that tho. way in which poultry was sometimes shipped to ■Wellington was'disgraceful; Oil visiting the wharf ho had seen poultry that had been left, thero in crates fourteon-or'fifteen hours, no food or. wator being provided for them, unless by the kindness (as in ono caso which ho observed) of' an. omployeo of tho Harbour Board. He had also found poultry, that had been shipped, from- Blenheim, and had been confined -in a crato for forty hours, tho condition of tho crato being dirty. The'lnspector'also stated that,.having received a complaint regarding tho ill-treat-: ment of horses; ho visited tho owner's placo and found a horso which seemed in'great pain and totally unfit for work. He was 'informed ,by the owner's wife that tho horse; had been, examined six weeks before, aiid tho owner had been told he could work it, but must not- bring, it into town. They., bought it from a coalman nine months ago' for £4. He was told the horso had ..been, .carting timber the day ho saw it. -Tho'horso' was' aftorwards examined by. Mr. Quinnell, veterinary surgeon, who condemned it, as it was suffering great pain from its spinal cord. It was morcifully destroyed two days later. The ."committed agreed that tho case was a particularly bad ono, and it was decideu to tako legal action. :

Another case in _which -the'committee decided to take action was that of a horse which was boing worked while crippled at hauling with others on a steep grade. It was a confirmed cripple, having a large kneo and contracted tendons. The owner admitted it . was bad, but said ho thought it •would last, him till the finish of his contract. Pie said ho gave £10 'for it three months lago. Mr. Goorgo Browne", J.P., inspected the horso in question, and gave an order to destroy it, which was done. Tho-Inspector also showed a certificate from Mr. \V. Qninnell, stating that tho horse was suffering from chronic inflammatory diseaso of the knee-joint and back tendons of the off fore■)cg, ami ithat it was totally unsound, unfit for any work, and ought to he destroyed.

Several othor cases wero reported by tho Inspector, but it was decided not to take action.

Tho following donations (collected by Mrs. England) wero acknowledged:—Messrs. R. \V. Mills and C., Ltd., £1 Is.; Mrs. A. E. Kernct and Mr. G. Welsh, 10s. 6(1. each; Mrs. Canton, 10s.; Messrs. E. ~\\. Lowe, H. E. Allen, W. Wellnnd, anil A. A., os. each; Mrs. Rogers, Cs.; Mr. H. Gaby, Mrs. M. Ross, ami ~\V. E., 2s. Gtl. cacli —total. £4 os. Gd.