NSW Police have impounded dozens of animals from an area of Crown Land north-west of Candelo, after reports to the RSPCA surrounding their welfare.
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Police, NSW Local Land Services and the RSPCA launched an operation early on Monday to remove dozens of horses, and a number of cattle and sheep being kept on a stretch of public land on Mogilla Rd just outside Candelo. Multiple vehicles and at least 10 personnel from the respective authorities were on hand rounding up the animals.
We are here because there were reports of animals in need.
- RSPCA spokesperson
The RSPCA said the animals could not legally be kept on the area of Crown Land, and an independent equine specialist veterinarian was on site to assess the welfare of the animals.
“We are here because there were reports of animals in need,” an RSPCA spokesperson said. “We are not even sure how many animals there are.”
The RSPCA said an undisclosed number of horses were found on the site suffering from “welfare issues”.
“Any animals with welfare concerns will see a vet and will need feeding,” the spokesperson said.
“The ones with welfare concerns will be helped first.
“At this stage it is as simple as the animals are not allowed to be on Crown Land,”
The RSPCA could not comment further on the investigation being led by NSW Police.
NSW Police Rural Crime Investigators were on hand to round up the animals and impound them under the Impounding Act 1993. Equipment on the land will also be removed.
Concerned onlooker Rosemary Rolfe said animals had been kept on the area of public land known as the Candelo Common for at least a decade.
“A lot of locals have fed them and given them water, it’s been a sad state of affairs,” she said. “We’ve had to take buckets of water and feed to the animals, it was shocking.”