PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11201, 25 August 1898, Page 3

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

The monthly meeting of the comir-Utee ol the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was attended by Mr Colin Allan (in the chair), Mesdames Gordon Macdonald, Jackson and J. Howard, Misses E. J. G. Eliott and Jackson, Messrs Theomin, J. B. Thomson, and E. Quick (secretary). The report of the. Inspector (Mr Aitken) for the six months ending June 30 was received. This shows that 79 cases of alleged cruelty, to animals were reported and investigated. In 14- cases there was no prosecution for want of evidence. Seven prosecutidns were instituted and seven convictions ob tamed, all in the Dunedin court. The fines and costs amounted to £6 7s. In one charge of working a horse with open sores under the harness a sentence of four days in prison was inflicted. Five horses suffering from injuries and worn out were destroyed at the inspector's request, also one cow. No less than 51 persons were cautioned by the inspector. Of these. l 3 were for working horses when suffering from wounds under the harness, 10 for working horses when suffering from, lameness, eight for working horses when weak and unfit, two for cruelly beating and ill-treating ■ horses, four for overloading and overdriving horses, three for keeping old and partly wornI out horses without sufficient food; and shelter, j eight for keeping horses, cattle, or sheep i without sufficient food, two for ill-treating 1 poultry by dogs, and two for overcrowding - poultry. In all the seven prosecutions the animal which suffered the! cruelty was a horse. Mr Aitken reports that a considerable portion of his time is taken up with his duties as truant officer for the Education Board, but the work of the society has not been neglected.