94 animals killed

Trial against farmer (56) for horror stables

The conditions on the farm were glorifying.

(Bild: BH Vöcklabruck)

It is an unbelievable case of animal cruelty on a farm in Upper Austria: a farmer left his animals starving and knee-deep in dirt, almost 100 cows and calves had to be killed. On Wednesday, the 58-year-old was convicted - not legally binding - of animal cruelty.

The farmer (58) from the Upper Austrian district of Vöcklabruck had apparently allowed his 105 cattle to be completely neglected. Due to the desolate conditions, the district authority ordered the evacuation of the barn in June of this year. The animals were taken from the man, but a total of 94 had to be slaughtered, some of them on the spot because their condition was so bad.

Farmer was overwhelmed
Just how overwhelmed the single farmer was is shown by the fact that the official veterinarian had already identified numerous deficiencies shortly beforehand, but the man took no action. The animals were not given any food or water and the barn must not have been cleared for weeks - if not longer.

Farmer fought back
When the authorities intervened, the farmer resisted and blocked the officers' way into the stables. The police had to arrive and the farmer was taken to hospital.

During a local inspection by the "Krone", the farmer was described as a fine person "who had outgrown everything". In addition to the animal tragedy, there was also a human tragedy. This case was heard at the Wels Regional Court on Wednesday.

The defendant confessed
The defendant confessed, stating that he had simply been overwhelmed. The judge considered the confession and his good character to be grounds for mitigation. The non-final sentence: three months' conditional imprisonment and an unconditional fine of 1,200 euros.