SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 10

SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

We make the following extracts from the annual and inspector's reports submitted to this society at its meeting on the sfch inst. : — inspector's report. In placing before you a report of the work done for the 12 mouths ended December 31, 1887, the following statement will show the nature of the offences, the proceedings taken, and the results :— There were 134 cases investigated ; 18 persons were prosecuted ; 16 persons were convicted and fined ; two Informations were withdrawn; five horses, suffering in consequence of being completely worn out, were destroyed itt my request ; two dogs, suffering from mange, were destroyed at my request. Hinety-eight persons were cautioned for vnrious offences, as under: — For working horses with open sores under the harness, 18 ; for working horses when lame, 11 ; for working horses when in a weak condition, 10; for working horses otherwise unfit to be I worked, four; for cruelly beating and ill-treating i horses, 19 ; for overloading or overdriving horses, 12; for overdriving a broken-winded horse, one ; for leaving disabled horses without sufficient food and wn'er, two; for keeping horses and cafctlo witliout sufficient food and water, six ; for ill-treating cattle and young caves, two; for ill-treating dogs and cats, three; for overcrowding fowls carried by train, &c, three ; for carrying fowls by the feet, the hend hanging down, seven ; total, 98. Several esses of cock-fighting have been reported to the society, but as yet no evidence for prosecution has been obtained. Out of a number of cases reported by the public to the secretary and investigated by me, 19 complaints were not substantiated. In cases where children have been reported for committing acts of cruelty, the committee have deemed it advisable to request their parents to punish them. Several cases have been disposed of in this way with good effect. I beg to note that the public still continue to come forward to give evidence in court for the society in cases of cruelty that may come under their notice. I have visited Christchurch, Hornby, Oamaru, Waikonaiti, Waitati, Port Chalmers, Otago Peninsula, G>-een Island, Mosgiel, Outram, Greytown, Taieri, Milton, Lawrence, Balclntha, Clinton, Gore, Lowther, Invercargill, &c, besides "paying frequent visits to the cattle yards and all the suburbs of the city. Very valuable professional assistance has been afforded to me from time to time by the society's honorary solicitors and veterinary surgeons, who are always most ready to advise me upou all points requiring their special knowledge. 'ihe following is the list of rases prosecuted and the amounts of fines inflicted (including costs) during the 12 months ended 31st December 1887, at, Dunedin Police Court :—

Cruelly beating and kicking a horse, £2 Os 6<i ; kicking a horse in the abdomen, £1 2s 6d ; working a horse with open sores under the harness, £1 2s 6d ; working a horse with open sores under the harness, £l 2s Od ; driving a howe to death in a buguy on hire, £3 Is Gd ; driving a horse to death in a buggy on hire, £3 Is ; driving a horse to death in a buggy on hire, £3 Is ; cruelly beating and overdriving a horse in a buggy on hire, £4 6b ; cruelly beating and overdriving a home in a buggy on hire, £4 6s ; -working a horse with open sores under the harness, £2 17s 6d ; cruelly beating and overdriving a horse in a buggy on hire, £2 10s 6d ; dragging a young bull by the nose behind a dray, £2 lla 6d ; dragging a young bull by the nose behind a dray, £2 11s tid ; working a horao with open sores under the harness, £1 19s ; for ill-trenting pigs, four informations were laid against one person, for causing 188 pigs to be conveyed in railway trucks in an overcrowded 6tate a distance of 366 miles without sufficient food and water, causing 24 of said pigs to be crushed to death and a number to die at their destination after they were taken out of the trucks. The pigs were in the railway trucks for over 48 hours. The defendant was fined in the first offence £9, and in the second offei-ce £l. Costs of court and witnesses in both cases were £91457 d; total £19 14s 7d. (The other two charges were withdrawn.) The total amount of Hues, including costs of court, witnesses, &c. for the 12 months ending December 31,1887, is £50 Ms 7d. Prosecutions have only been Instituted in very flagrant cases of cruelty. The society has no interest inand receives no portion of the fines. During the same time a number of cases of cruelty have been prosecuted by the police, who Lave acted most harmoniously with your society. FBOM ANNUAL UKPORT. The income for the year has been £133 ss, and the expenditure £146 2s 7d. The number of members is now 239. It is also desirable that it should be widely known thnt the practice of treating cases of lampas in horses by burning with hot irons is as cruel as it is improper and illegal. Lampas Is an inflammation of the gums found in ymmg horses cutting their teeth, for which the modern method ot treatment is as efficacious as it is simple and harmless.