Achi news desk-
After dealing with stray cows for the past few years, Gerald Aldward’s New Brunswick yard was quiet Thursday afternoon.
“One night I got up here and there were somewhere around 25-30 lying on my lawn,” he said. “I think that day it took me half a day to clean the manure off the yard.”
Nor is he the only one who has had to deal with the unwanted visitors due to fallen fences on a nearby farm.
“This whole settlement, everyone has had damage, thousands of dollars worth of damage to their property and I think the only thing now is that these cows have to go because they are not going to wait,” said Aldward. “They’ve been out so long that cattle are out once they’re out, they’re hard to keep in and if there’s no fences, they’re very hard to keep in.”
They are also more than just a nuisance to neighboring landowners. One neighbor told CTV News off camera that they had been chased by a cow while walking their dog. Other safety concerns have also been brought forward.
“When the school bus goes out every morning and we’ve got it waiting and honking its horn for cows to get off the road or if someone drives through here at night with these black cows , they are not going to see them if they are. ‘on the road until they hit them,’ said Aldward. “Most of the people are older people, they can’t chase cattle and they really shouldn’t have to chase cattle.”
Tony Porter, chief animal protection officer with the New Brunswick SPCA, says calls regarding farm animals have been on the rise.
In 2022 they accounted for five per cent of the SPCA’s total calls and last year 10 per cent of their total calls related to livestock.
“Of those, last year, we received 77 calls relating to livestock in general. Now in such a case there is no legislation that governs the enforcement of livestock in general,” said Porter.
He says that although he is aware of complaints in the area, he cannot speak to this particular case, noting that the SPCA follows the code of practice issued by the National Farm Animal Care Council of Canada.
“It gives recommendations, best practices and requirements,” he said. “Under the code of practice for the beef cattle code in this country, there’s nothing in the legislation that covers them having to be fenced in by wires or whatever. There’s one for horses, but that’s one of the very few there are.”
Porter says that animals in general is not necessarily a legal situation of animal abuse, but it is a safety issue for the animal.
“When we get calls like that, we attend those locations where the animals are running a lot, no matter where it could be from here to every corner of the state,” he said. “When we attend those locations we also look at the condition of those animals on the farms, on the property and we look for everything from food, shelter, water, care. It gives us an opportunity to go and see if there are any other issues related to animal protection.”
In a statement to CTV News, the minister responsible for Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries said that the department had advised the farmer about fencing strategies.
“In autumn 2023, department staff visited the farmer and advised him on best practices to fix any fencing issues,” the statement reads. “Earlier this month, provincial veterinarians, along with the NBSPCA, revisited the farm to evaluate the animals and the situation. The farmer was also reminded of fencing strategies.
“If the matter cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of neighbours, there is an option for neighbors to resolve farm nuisance disputes through the Agricultural Operating Practices Act.”
The neighbors said they have reached out to the RCMP, SPCA and local politicians, and don’t feel enough, if anything, has been done.
“We’re just absolutely fed up. Nobody wants to do anything,” Aldward said. “I would much sooner get along with my neighbor than fight with my neighbor. I had my own beef cattle years ago and I enjoy animals, I don’t like to see animals used like this and not controlled either.”
