TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1039, 31 January 1911, Page 2

TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.

ANNUAL-REPORT OF S.P.C.A,

The seventeenth annual . report of. the Society for tho Prevchtiou'of Cruelty to Animals, to'be at tlie annual meeting to be held in the Chamber of Commerce at 1 p.m. to-day, states:—

; The total number of cases dealt with duriiig the period under review was '337, made up as follows:—Cruelty to horses, 253; ' cruelty to cattle, 13; overcrowding poultry, 18; sundry cases, 51. Of these; U3, horses were destroyed as they ivero quite unfit for work. The inspector also destroyed S dags and 13 cats. Criurt proceedings iwere taken in 21 cases, in all of which the society secured convictions, the fines imposed and costs amounting to 75., an increase of <£35 on the previous year. Unfortunately many'offenders escape prosecution, and some gross cases of cruelty go' unpunished, because tho witnesses are unwilling to appear in court and give evidence. It is proposed to hold another conference of societies at Palmcrston North about August next year.. A large number of anonymous letters continue to come in, and while .fuany of these lead up to important cases, the committee desires to urge tho public to give their names and addresses when reporting cases that come under their- notice. The. revenue for the year, including the balance from the previous vear, was 15s. 5d., and the expenditure ,£lB7 14s. 5d., leaving a fcalamjo of .£53. Is. But for two special donations amounting -to ■£55 55., tho revenue would have been insufficient to meet the expenditure.