Alison Freemantle-Pilkington, who described herself as having 30 years of experience in owning and handling horses, was sentenced to 220 hours of community work in lieu of a fine and ordered to pay $4562 in costs. She was also disqualified from owning animals for five years.
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| Alison Freemantle-Pilkington |
The neglected horses were found by an SPCA inspector in 2010 looking very thin and living in paddocks with scarce amounts of grass and natural feed. Despite being told by a veterinarian to feed the horses more supplementary food, one of the horses later died from starvation.
The remaining four horses were taken off the owner and placed in the care of the SPCA.
Executive director of SPCA Auckland, Bob Kerridge, says while he believes Freemantle-Pilkington’s actions were not deliberate it is unacceptable to treat animals in the way she did.
“It indicates a remarkable lack of understanding of the basic needs of horses by the owner.
“Horses are sentient, as are all animals, and accordingly are capable of feeling pain and distress, as these horses undoubtedly did. This is unacceptable and could have been averted if veterinary advice had been sought or the SPCA had been asked to help earlier.”
Mr Kerridge says the sentence given to Freemantle-Pilkington is appropriate.
“A lesson has been learned, and a message sent.”
(3news.co.nz - Nov 7, 2012)
