A Taranaki farmer was fined $3750 for performing surgery on a dozen dairy cows with a pair of scissors.

A Taranaki farm manager has been fined more than $3500 for cutting off the teats of 12 cows with a pair of scissors and no pain relief.

The New Plymouth District Court heard how Claudio Nubio Da Costa was employed on an Okato farm last year when he took matters into his own hands and performed an operation on the animals, all of which had teat injuries.

The summary of facts said the 47-year-old had worked in various farming roles over the last 13 years and at the time of the offending, between August and September last year, was employed as a contract milker.

On November 5, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) received a complaint on its animal welfare hotline about the occlusion, or blockage, of teats of 12 dairy cows belonging to the owners of the farm where Da Costa worked.

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