CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 160, 8 June 1939, Page 10

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

CASE AT REAIUERA. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 8. Sending William Alfred Laird, aged 02, to prison for a month lor cni.cll v 1 o hi ids and animals, Air C. R. Oi-r-Walker. S.AI., in the Police Court, told Laird that, he deserved more. Laird pleaded guilty to n charge of stealing a quantity of liquor valued at £4 12s, also to a charge, that between Alav 22 and 31, having charge of four cows, Id budgerigars, 80 fowls and two dogs, he omitted to supply them with sufficient food and water. The police said that Laird was employed as a handy man by a Rcnniera resident. While his employer was on holiday in Rotorua he lived in a detached room and was given the run til the kitchen and pantry. AVliile looking for a bottle of sauce in file pantry, accused discovered his employer's liquor supply, and drank all of the wine, whisky, champagne, gin and beer.’ When drunk, he wandered away, leaving the animals, io starve. The cows were unmilked and praeticallv mined. All the budgerigars died, also five fowls, while the remainder of the I owls and the two dogs were in a bad way. “Having a weakness for liquor Land succumbed to the temptation and forgot, about the unfortunate animals." said defending counsel, Mr AA . Noble. Afr Orr-AA'alker: But lie must have realised when lie woke up that Hie poor animals bad not been led. Air Noble: Probably bis first thought, was to get more liquor. The Alngistrate: Surely his sense of decency would cause him not to forjret,. j.aird was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon for the theft of the liquor, and ordered to make restitution. On the charge of cruelty, be was sentenced to a. month’s imprisonment with hard labour.