Canadian farmer to pay $25,000 for neglecting cows

A Canadian cattleman was convicted under the Animal Care Act and will pay a $25,000 fine for neglect that left 44 cows dead and another 117 malnourished.

The Manitoba farmer was sentenced Wednesday and ordered to pay near-maximum fines. Provincial court Judge Kelly Moar also banned Raymond Bernier, 64, from owning any animals for five years, the maximum penalty.

A tip from an area resident led to an investigation in 2007. About 75 percent of the surviving cattle found on Bernier’s farm appeared to be in poor shape and may had survived for months without feed. Bernier told the court his animals appeared to be infected with a disease and, rather than ensuring medical care, the cattle were ignored.

Winnipeg Free Press reports a trial ended with Bernier convicted of seven charges under the Animal Care Act.

Crown attorney Shaun Sass called this case one of the worst in Manitoba’s history considering the number of dead cattle.

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