A Victorian farmer has pleaded guilty to a string of animal cruelty charges after authorised inspectors found dead and dying sheep in a water trough floating in faeces and debris.
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Lake Charm grazier Bruce Cook pleaded guilty to three charges of aggravated cruelty and one charge of breaching an adjourned undertaking in the Kerang Magistrates' Court recently.
Cook was also found guilty of transporting livestock not able to walk on its own.
Agriculture Victoria said Magistrate Dominic Lennon handed Cook a community corrections order with conviction for 12 months with a condition he perform 100 hours of community service as well as an aggregate fine of $2000.
Cook was also re-sentenced for the 2021 offences which involved aggravated cruelty and failing to provide proper and sufficient drink for which he originally received an adjourned undertaking with a condition to pay $5000.
A control order was imposed for two years with conditions to provide proper and sufficient food and water, and to provide veterinary or other appropriate attention or treatment and monitoring.
Agriculture Victoria animal health and welfare compliance manager Daniel Bode said authorised inspectors attended a property in Lake Charm in March 2022 after receiving a complaint.
"A large, circular, concrete water trough partially buried in the ground contained seven deceased sheep plus one which was alive," he said.
"All had exceptionally low body condition.
"The trough was designed for larger animals as sheep troughs have shallower sides to enable them to escape if they enter."
Mr Bode said the water had faeces and debris floating in it and the carcases had started to break down.
"The sheep which was alive was unable to support its own weight and was euthanised by inspectors," he said.
"A lamb with an injury to its limb, unable to walk, was also euthanised."
In November 2019, Cook dispersed more than 350 stud cows from his Kactus Point Charolais stud after months of low rainfall and a lack of available feed.
He has a handful of farms at Kerang and Lake Charm and a smaller property at Crossover, north of Warragul.
In 2021, he was fined $5000 after 32 cattle on agistment in northern Victoria died following a six-day period of extreme heat after a pump supplying water to the cattle failed.
Mr Bode said apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches could jeopardise Victoria's reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food.
"This is a reminder to all livestock producers that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian government or the community," he said.
Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint in regard to livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au
