Dunedin District CourtA dairy farmer would tie cows up by their tails, a court has heard, and when the beasts bolted it ripped the ends off. In November 2017, the vets and a Ministry for Primary Industries official inspected the 600-strong herd during milking. Another staff member at the farm explained Larsen would tie the tail to a rail then when the heifer was startled and jumped, they suffered a traumatic amputation. It's primary use is to control flies, but it is also used in social signalling and in cow-cow interactions." He was ordered to pay vet costs of $1852 and banned from having any involvement with animals for a year.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 24, 2019 16:33 UTC