Farmer Joseph Dare banned from owning cattle after animal cruelty case
Joseph William Dare, 33, pleaded guilty in Colac Magistrates Court on Monday to 72 charges of animal cruelty and neglect.
Mr Dare is a Western District dairy farmer and a well-known local footballer who was drafted to the Carlton AFL Football Club in 2009.
The court heard detailed and graphic accounts of cattle that suffered or died on Mr Dare's farm between July 2022 and January 2024.
Prosecutor Scott Ward said officers from Agriculture Victoria visited Mr Dare's property in Dreeite multiple times over 19 months.
He told the court they found cows, calves and bulls that were dead or slowly dying of emaciation, disease and dehydration.
A total of 170 animals were found dead and 45 had to be euthanased.
The court heard that during the visits, officers discovered a bull that was so sick and skinny it could not get off the ground and a cow and calf that died alone during a difficult calving.
Mr Ward said officers also reported that "some cows [were] considered walking skeletons and still had calves suckling from them".
In August 2023, a black heifer was found with a bullet wound to its head, but it was still alive, after a "failed" attempt at euthanasia by Mr Dare.
Mr Dare was charged under Victoria's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
Magistrate Franz Holzer described Mr Dare's farm as "animal killing fields".
"He got animals that were unwell and then neglected them even further … that's just shameful, shameful," Magistrate Holzer said.
He said the $75,000 fine imposed on Mr Dare was the "highest" compared to other recent cases.
"I've been doing this job for a long time, including in regional Victoria, and this is one of the worst examples of animal neglect and cruelty that I have seen," Magistrate Holzer said.
As well as the fine, Mr Holzer banned him from owning or being in charge of cattle for 10 years.
In that time, an authorised government department inspector will monitor Mr Dare.
In sentencing, Magistrate Holzer said Mr Dare's background and experience should have meant he understood how to look after animals.
"It's such a significant departure of the standards expected," he said.
Mr Dare's defence barrister, Gregory Lascaris told the court that caring for the cattle became "too much" for his client.
He said it was a "perfect storm" for Mr Dare, who was recovering from injuries sustained in a truck crash, as well as dealing with a drop in livestock prices and challenging weather.
He acknowledged that these issues did not excuse the deaths of the cattle or the state they were in and said Mr Dare accepted responsibility.
Agriculture Victoria's animal health and welfare compliance manager Daniel Bode said he was pleased with the outcome, particularly the ban.
"The accused has demonstrated he was not a fit and proper person to care for cattle, and this order goes about preventing any further cruelty," he said.
Mr Bode said the case had been extremely difficult and harrowing for the Agriculture Victoria officers involved.
"There's nothing more confronting than having to see this sort of stuff repeated," he said.
"The result today gives a level of comfort to our staff that this person will not be responsible for any further cruelty in the preceding 10 years."
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