SUNBURY -- Lloyd Reitz Sr. and Andy Reitz have been found innocent of charges they abused animals on their dairy farm.
Judge Robert J. Bolton ruled Friday morning that neither Reitz Sr., owner of Reitz Dairy Farm, nor his son were guilty of failing to provide proper medical care to sick or injured cattle, of cruelty using a pocket knife, kicking and shocking them, or failing to provide proper nutrition.
Bolton said the cows that died were under the regular care of Dr. James Temple, a Sunbury veterinarian with 37 years experience. He said the cattle were seen by Dr. Temple twice a month and were being given tests, antibiotics, and other medical treatment.
The prosecution failed to say what caused the death of several cattle that died, Bolton said. He said the hind-end narrow look of some of the cattle is typical of cattle that give milk and not a sign of malnutrition.
As for the described incident of pocket knife use, Bolton said it was not the blade end that was used, but the handle end, and it was used to stroke up the spine of a downed animal to get it to rise – again a typical cattle-handling maneuver, he said.
