KEEPING RABBITS FRESH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14947, 21 March 1912, Page 5

KEEPING RABBITS FRESH.

ALIVE, WITH BROKEN LEGS.

CONVICTION FOR CRUELTY.

A somewhat unusual case of cruelty to animals was heard in the Police Court yesterday by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. Harold Offler was charged, on the information of Mr. H. Alder, inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelly to Animals, with cruelly ill-treating a number of rabbits by keeping them alive while suffering from broken legs. Accused pleaded guilty. Mr. C. E. Matthews, who prosecuted for the society, said the case was rather a peculiar one, and on© that he would like to bring before the public.

Mr. 11. Alder, inspector for the society, said ho visited Karaka, near Drury, where defendant carries on business as a rabbit trapper. On his first visit ho saw a large cage outside the defendant's tent, but no rabbits. Next day he visited the tent again, and taw the cage full of rabbits. Witness then went away, and returned in company with the constable from Papakura. Witness then told defendant to kill the rabbits, which he did. There were 50 rabbits in the cage, 37 had one leg broken, 12 had two legs broken, and one was uninjured. Branches of trees were packed into the cage so that the rabbits could not move freely about. When spoken to, defendant said it was the usual thing.

Defendant said that when ho had only seven or eight rabbits it did not pay him to bring them in to town, so he kept them alive until ho had enough. It was tho usual practice in Australia.

Mr. Cutten said" tho catching of rabbits in such a manner was cruel, and must not bo continued. He was satisfied, howover, that defendant had acted thoughtlessly, as he considered that was 1 the only way in which ho could conduct his business. Ho would bo convicted, and ordered to pay costs (£1 12s).