Harness racing driver-turned-trainer Jesse Alford appeared at a Judicial Control Authority Hearing this week after investigators caught him injecting two horses with the banned substance formalin, which contains 10 per cent formaldehyde.
It comes after last month’s hearing of greyhound trainer Angela Turnwald, who was handed a $3500 fine and a temporary racing ban because her dog tested positive for meth.
University of Otago senior lecturer Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere says he believes both incidents are “open and shut” cases under the animal welfare act that should lead to prosecution, but MPI says it hasn’t laid any charges.
“It’s a clear breach of the act in my opinion and it’s something both MPI and New Zealanders in general should be very concerned about” he says.
“The problem is MPI is a very reactive organisation, they’re ill-resourced and simply not well equipped to investigate and enforce the law in every given circumstance, its simply not good enough.”
MPI’s Director of Compliance Services Gary Orr told 1 News it takes animal welfare “very seriously”.
“MPI is engaging an independent expert to provide additional advice regarding the application of methamphetamine to a greyhound as well as formalin/formaldehyde and bicarbonate of soda to a horse,” he said.
TV One News