Photos shot by a Fiordland resident in early June show cows in mud-filled paddocks with no shelter. A complaint was made to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), which failed to take any action after visiting the farm.

Two weeks later, new photos taken at the same location again showed cows in muddy conditions.

SAFE Campaign Manager Marianne Macdonald says, "This is an outrageous failure on MPI's part and we demand that they do more to protect these animals."

"Every year, we hear the same story from the dairy industry. Yet it is the cows that suffer in these conditions."

"Cows kept in muddy paddocks are unable to rest comfortably and are at risk of painful health problems such as mastitis and lameness," says Macdonald.

Macdonald says a separate crown entity should be established with the sole function of ensuring adherence to New Zealand’s animal welfare laws.

In 2019, a Government Action Group was established to look at animal-welfare problems associated with winter grazing. A set of rules was created for MPI inspectors to follow when they received complaints. The conditions revealed in these photos from Fiordland are likely a breach of those rules.

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