Painted sheep upset animal activist (+video)

ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

NOT BRAINLESS ANIMALS: Animal rights activist Jenny Cronin has described a driver safety campaign that uses sheep with large numbers painted on them as 'dreadful'. Land Transport NZ says no sheep were harmed in the campaign.
View video: Counting sheep

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Spray-painting sheep with large black numbers to reinforce the message "if you are counting sheep falling asleep you need to take a break" has animal lovers bleating.
View video: Counting sheep

Land Transport NZ had large black numbers spray-painted on to a flock of sheep in a Paekakariki paddock, near Wellington, next to State Highway 1 under a large billboard stating "Tired? Pull Over And Take A Break."

More than 20 sheep have been painted in the run-up to Queen's Birthday weekend and are being rotated between a small front paddock near the highway and a larger back paddock every few days, sparking concern from some drivers and local animal activist Jenny Cronin.

Ms Cronin said the promotion was appalling.

"It is absolutely dreadful - painting them and keeping them in a small enclosure with no grass ... They think sheep are brainless animals, that they do not know the difference, but that is not the point."

After inspecting the site she was horrified the sheep did not have enough grass, and the water level was too low in a plastic container for the sheep to reach.

Kapiti Coast SPCA manager Lloyd Warren said it had received numerous complaints, but he believed the sheep were fine, were being fed hard pellets and hay, provided with water and rotated three times a week.

Sergeant Mike George, who said he "did a double take" when he first saw the promotion, said police had received several calls from drivers concerned about the sheep's welfare in the small enclosure.

"It is certainly a different concept; it took me a while to understand. People have been concerned the sheep are in such a tight confined space, but we have been reassured they are being fed and watered and monitored by the farmer."

LTNZ spokesman Andy Knackstedt said tired drivers contributed to more than 40 deaths and the injury of nearly 1000 in road crashes in 2006.

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M Newton   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Sheep are confined in smaller indoor areas, overseas, in the long winter months. If this animal activist was that worried about them, what did she do to relieve their so called suffering. I have complete faith in the S.P.C.A, and if they say the sheep are in fine health and condition, then there is no cause for concern.

N Jones   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

This is a great idea. Contrary to what the woman in the video said, sheep are often in paddocks alongside roadsides. It's not as if farmers have a spare paddock next to the road that they keep free of animals as a buffer in case their sheep are sensitive to road noise. Get real, this is just political correctness gone way too far. The enclosure those sheep are in is much larger and less tightly occupied than the ones they are in when they stand round all day waiting to be shorn. Obviously this woman has never been on a farm, she should learn more about the animals she is supposedly trying to advocate for before she jumps in to the fray.

S Thelning   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

This poor lady is obviously a few sheep short of a top paddock.

I don't think it's fair to interview someone with such strong feelings when they don't have full mental capacity. She doesn't know anything about farming sheep either, and hadn't even looked into the case in point before flying off the handle.

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