A home detention sentence given to a man caught on tape kicking and dropping bobby calves at a pet food plant is to be appealed by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Bobby calf Photo: RNZ / Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Noel Erickson, 39, was sentenced last month in the Huntly District Court to 10 months home detention and 200 hours of community work.
He was convicted on 10 charges over the treatment of 115 bobby calves at a Te Kauwhata plant in August last year.
The charges were laid after secret video footage was taken by animal rights groups.
The footage showed Erickson throwing and dropping calves onto the ground, kicking and hitting them, and dragging one under a gate.
The ministry confirmed today it was appealing the sentence.