SPCA Canterbury is raising the alarm after finding more cases than usual of animal neglect in the region.
SPCA Canterbury animal welfare manager Geoff Sutton said the organisation was ''investigating complaints every day''.
Recently it was involved when 79 malnourished and emaciated sheep at a North Canterbury property had to be put down.
A further 22 lambs were also seized from the property.
Only weeks earlier, 15 cattle were found dead and 65 calves had to be put down at a Darfield property.
And on Monday, Ashburton dairy farmer Kevin Craig Smith was convicted of ill-treating 154 cows by breaking their tails. Charges in this case were brought by the Ministry for Primary Industries under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Mr Sutton said the organisation had statistics to back up the view its rural work has increased considerably.
''It's not just the numbers [of incidents], it's the size of those problems - it's the numbers involved.
''I certainly hope it's not a trend,'' he said.
He was unable to provide Courier Country with the statistics.
Predominantly the problem seemed to be with ''part-time farmers'', he saidFull-time production farmers could ''tip over'' too, lifestylers also got into trouble but the numbers were small.
Part-time farmers were those who had a separate income, often did not live on the property, but were farming ''on a reasonable scale''.
They could be leasing grazing, often in marginal areas, thinking there was a ''buck to be made'' but without a full understanding of the responsibilities involved, especially about providing enough adequate nutritious supplementary feed, or about when to destock, he said.
They often did not have enough finance. Some did not have enough acreage to move stock around''By the time they accept there is a problem the animals are not worth anything so they hang on to them,'' Mr Sutton said.
The heart of the problem was people were not looking for the early signals of a problem and addressing them, he said.
Despite this winter being the best ''for a long time'' animals came out of autumn undernourished, there had been instances of a lack of feed and/or mismanagement of feed or poor quality feed being provided.
''They are gambling with lives - that the sun will come out and the grass will grow.''
People had been blaming snow or drought but ''not looking at themselves'', Mr Sutton said.
Owners needed to take more responsibility and act early.
It was an ''underappreciated problem'' with the horse fraternity, he said.
''It's about getting advice. They think they are saving money by not talking to vets but it costs them in the end.''
Full-time farmers often supported each other but with part-time farmers, neighbours often did not know who owned the stock or who to contact and so reported the problem to the SPCA.
The SPCA often had to go through a lengthy process to find those owners, Mr Sutton said.
Vetlife managing director Adrian Campbell said he had not seen an increase in cases of animal neglect this year.
Vetlife runs clinics through the central South Island from Rangiora all the way to Alexandra.
He did not believe there was a rising trend, but said instances were ''always there''.
''People with an animal welfare issue are embarrassed to seek help and as it gets worse they feel more embarrassed.
''That is the trap.''
People did not like to think they were ''doing badly'' by their animals, he said.
He said vets were skilled in dealing with concerns like this, including the human element.
''Don't worry about asking for help. Ask for help early because it won't go away,'' Dr Campbell said.
Farming advisers say the cases have been disappointing and most farmers take a lot of pride and go above and beyond to ensure their stock are well cared for.
DairyNZ animal husbandry team leader Nita Harding said all farmers had an obligation to properly care for stock, providing sufficient feed and water, and suitable paddocks or housing appropriate for their age.
There was a need to be extra vigilant at this time of the year because weather conditions could be challenging and feed supplies needed to be managed carefully, she said.
If people were struggling to meet animal needs there were many resources available and they should also seek veterinary advice if they were concerned about the health of their animals, Dr Harding said.
All farmers looking for support can contact DairyNZ on 0800-4DairyNZ (0800-432-479-69).
It has an Early Response Service which offers farmers confidential support where animal welfare might be at riskAnimal health and welfare resources and information is also available online at: www.dairynz.co.nz/animals