Animal cruelty charges laid against Yeeda Pastoral Company and former chief Jack Burton over ingrown horns

A major WA pastoral company and its former chief executive have been charged with a string of animal cruelty offences. Prominent Kimberley pastoralist Jack Burton — the former chief executive of Yeeda Pastoral Company — faces five charges of cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act WA, while two charges of cruelty have been laid against Yeeda Pastoral Company. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the charges relate to offences alleged to have taken place between April and May 2019. The charges are understood to involve six cattle that arrived at the Kimberley Meat Co abattoir — owned by Yeeda — with ingrown horns. Yeeda and Mr Burton made a first appearance before the Broome Magistrate’s Court on Monday and were not required to enter a plea. Both are due to next appear before the court on July 5. Mr Burton and his lawyer Emma Salerno declined to comment. Yeeda chairman Mervyn Key said he only learnt of the charges against the business a week ago and no current employees had any knowledge of the incident. Yeeda plans to defend the charges. Mr Key said there was little information about the circumstances leading up to the charges, but Yeeda purchases many cattle each year and any ingrown horns were identified and reported to an on-duty veterinarian. Mr Key said the company strived to achieve good animal welfare outcomes and deplored any cruelty. He said the incident was not related to footage released on Israeli television in November 2019 showing distressed cattle having their horns removed without pain relief, and other mistreatment. Some of that footage was filmed on Kilto Station, owned by Mr Burton and at the time leased by Yeeda. Those involved with the footage — which was taken on multiple cattle stations in the Kimberley between July and August 2017 — were not prosecuted by the DPIRD. Under WA’s Animal Welfare Act, any prosecution action relating to animal welfare offences must start within two years of the date of the alleged offence.