PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6072, 8 January 1898, Page 6

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

o A meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held last evening; present — Messrs G. T. Booth (chairman), G. W. Hulme, W. Prudhoe, J. C. Prudhoe, J. H. Parker, H. D. Carter, J. Jarmau (honorary inspecter) and Miss Cleland. Mr Foster reported that during the past month he had visited most of the districts in North Canterbury, and he found that, apart from the distress that animals must inevitably suffer in such an exceptional season as this, there was no cruelty to animals going on. He had visited A ddington Yards twice and the Rangiora Yards andthe fish market several times. He had been present at the Addington Yards from two to .four hours every Wednesday, except perhaps four, throughout the year ; and Mr Jarman, who had kindly consented to act as honorary inspector to the Society, was also always there, and Messrs Cunningham and M'Kellar were useful members in tbat connection. With reference to the tying of calves' legs, where there was no net over the cart, they were less likely to get bruised and the meat injured" than when they simply had a rope round the neck. The greatest trouble the calf suffered was from the want of milk or water at the slaughteryards. The ear-marking of pigs was in some cases a necessity, and all the Society could hope to do in the matter was to prevent the too free use of the knife. He reported a case of ingrowing horns at Addington Yards on Dec. 22, and stated that he had- seen, the agents, but found that the animal had been shipped to Lyttelton by a North Island dealer. Mr Jarman, honorary inspector to the Society, reported that he had visited. a farm at Bromley, and had seen a chestnut horse which appeared to be suffering from an old fracture in the near foreleg. It was ■decided that if it was not immediately destroyed the matter should be brought before the Court. . Attention was drawn to the practice of tying calves' legs with unsuitable material, and the Inspector was instructed to bring a test case should this practice be continued. Mr Prudhoe advocated occasional visits to the Addington yards by the Inspector as being more likely to produce good results than visits at stated hours, against which offenders might guard themselves. It was arranged that Mr* Jarman should be present in tlie morning at the yards, and Mr Foster in the afternoon. Mr t Parker asked whether it was necessary to punch large earmarks in fleshy pigs, and the Inspector replied that it was necessary, but that those punched often underwent the operation without a drop of blood flowing. However, the practice of marking with a knife was cruel, and the offender should be punished. A letter was directed to be sent to Inspector Broham, enclosing copies of two resolutions passed on Oct. 4 in reference to boundary dogs.