SAFE supporter update April 2025
April 25th, 2025As we wrap up another busy quarter, we want to take a moment to reflect on all that we’ve achieved together in our fight for animals – and what lies ahead in 2025. From calling for a total ban on cruel practices like mud farming and rodeo, to challenging misleading egg labels and exposing the horror of fish farms – every petition signature, every voice raised, and every act of support has made a real difference.
SAFE is a charity, and everything we do is only possible thanks to people like you. Your support powers our work – whether it’s shining a light on cruelty, or campaigning for lasting legislative change, we couldn’t do it without you.
Looking ahead, we’re feeling energised and hopeful. This year will bring new opportunities to make progress for animals, and we’ll be working harder than ever to ensure their voices are heard. With your support, we’ll keep pushing for a future where all animals in Aotearoa are free from cruelty and treated with the respect they deserve.
Thank you again for standing with us.
Here’s a closer look at what your support has helped us achieve this past quarter:
Rodeo: Turning up the pressure
The rodeo season may be over, but SAFE’s campaign to end this brutal ‘entertainment’ is far from finished.
With your help, we’ve kept this issue in the national spotlight.
Here’s what we’re doing in this space:
- Over 6,000 people have taken action, urging NAWAC (National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee) and the Minister responsible for Animal Welfare to release the long-overdue Rodeo Code of Welfare for public consultation.
- A full-page ad in The Post, made a bold statement on behalf of animals.
- Digital billboards lit up Wellington and Hamilton, ensuring no one could ignore the truth about rodeo cruelty.
- We formally urged the NZ Rural Games Trust to stop recognising rodeo riders in their awards, challenging the normalisation of cruelty.
- We ran an eye catching social media campaign to raise awareness about rodeo cruelty, resulting in thousands of kiwis taking our online action!
Major media coverage included:
- A live interview on RNZ Checkpoint with Lisa Owen
- RNZ Rural News
- MediaWorks radio stations
- We publicly called out Minister Andrew Hoggard for attending and opening the National Rodeo Finals—an unacceptable endorsement of cruelty from the very person responsible for animal welfare in this country.
What’s next?
SAFE will keep holding both NAWAC and Minister Hoggard to account. The revised Code of Welfare must be released—and we’ll make sure your voices are heard when it is. We’ll keep you updated with ways to get involved and have your say on the future of rodeo in Aotearoa.
Fix the Label: Demanding honest egg labelling
Thousands of Kiwis are backing SAFE’s complaint to the Commerce Commission, calling for honesty in egg labelling.
Check out our work:
- Over 10,000 people have signed in support of our complaint.
- Our campaign closes on International Respect for Chickens Day – May 4th, so there’s still time to add your name (and go in the draw to win some delicious egg-free goodies!).
- We’ve produced digital ads, print ads, sticker campaigns and newspaper features— spreading the truth far and wide.
- In March, we reached out to the Egg Producers Federation, after they claimed on RNZ’s The Panel that they’d be open to changing cage egg labels—if there was public support. But when we reached out? Silence.
- In April, we got a major win: The Commerce Commission confirmed our complaint meets their threshold for investigation.
What’s next?
We’re awaiting the outcome of the Commerce Commission investigation and will keep you updated every step of the way.
Mud Farming: Over 11,000 voices and counting
This quarter, SAFE launched the next phase of our ban mud farming campaign, continuing to expose this cruel and polluting practice.
Intensive winter grazing or mud farming is one of the country’s most destructive farming practices. A practice where animals, particularly cows, are forced to endure harsh winter conditions, standing knee-deep in mud with little to no shelter from the elements. This cruelty leads to severe physical discomfort, with many animals suffering from malnutrition, disease, and even death.
Not only is this practice inhumane, but it also pollutes our waterways with animal waste and runoff, damaging freshwater ecosystems and threatening drinking water.
Our mission remains clear—to raise awareness, push for immediate reforms, and fight for a complete ban on mud farming.
Here’s what we’ve been doing:
We have rolled out an eye-catching, high-impact campaign to bring this issue to the public’s attention, generating over 11,000 petition signatures! Check out some of our work below…
Our TVNZ on demand ads are being seen by hundreds of Kiwis every day!
Our eye-catching billboards are popping up all over the country, from our main centres, to our small towns.
Our digital marketing campaign gained millions of impressions across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google, Youtube and NZME sites, driving nearly 50,000 people to our campaign page, with over 11,000 of them signing the petition.
Radio Commercials played across prime time zones Breakfast, Morning, Afternoon & Drive on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and The Country in Wairarapa, Manawatu, Waikato, Christchurch & Central Otago, spreading our message far and wide.
What’s next?
SAFE will to continue to focus on raising awareness, pushing back against regulatory rollbacks, and demanding that the government prioritise the wellbeing of animals and the environment.
This winter, we’ll be taking the petition to Parliament—with your support behind us.
We’ll be keeping the pressure on MPs and the farming industry to stop forcing animals to suffer in freezing, muddy paddocks.
Greyhounds: Countdown to a racing-free future
The ban on greyhound racing has been announced—but it’s not over yet.
The latest:
From 1 August 2024 to 31 March 2025, there have been:
- 583 injuries
- 91 fractures
- 11 deaths
These numbers are devastating. Every one of these animals deserves better. SAFE continues to track and report every injury, holding the industry accountable for its cruelty.
The Ministerial Advisory Committee’s interim report on how the ban will be implemented has been delayed to 30 May. This will outline the legislative steps needed to make the ban law. We will be sure to keep you updated!
SAFE is also a strong voice in the media, keeping pressure on the industry and government alike. Here are a few recent highlights:
SAFE Campaign Manager Emma Brodie said Homebush Milo’s death was another tragic reminder of why greyhound racing had no future. Read more…
SAFE Campaign Manager Emma Brodie speaks to New Zealand Herald on the Greyhound racing industry’s confidential plans to ‘save’ greyhound racing in New Zealand. Watch the full story here…
What’s next?
Once the public consultation period opens, we’ll need your voice louder than ever to ensure the ban becomes law. Sign up to receive updates on how you can have your voice heard.
Fish factory farms: A summer of suffering
Fish are the forgotten victims of factory farming. But not on our watch.
Every year, millions of fishes in New Zealand are subjected to extreme confinement in underwater cages, where their basic needs are routinely violated. In the summer months, this cruelty intensifies—with shocking mortality rates.
This year, New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) once again reported disturbingly high fish deaths across their farms, with a standard mortality rate of 25%. That’s one in four animals dying—year after year—with no consequences. If this occurred on land-based farms, authorities would be forced to act. But fishes remain largely unprotected.
We’ve had enough. Here’s what we’re doing:
- SAFE has submitted a formal complaint to MPI, calling for an investigation into NZKS and the broader salmon farming industry.
- We’re demanding an urgent industry-wide review, focusing on widespread breaches of the Animal Welfare Act.
Our goal is simple: a ban on this cruel and exploitative industry.
Together, we’re making a difference
Thank you again for being a part SAFE, we rely on your support to continue doing our important work for animals.
Every action you take—whether signing a petition, donating, or sharing our message—brings us closer to a world where animals are treated with kindness and respect. Thank you for being part of this movement.
We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved together this quarter, and we’re even more excited for what’s ahead. Until next time, kia kaha, and thank you for being the voice animals need.
P.S. Everything we achieve is thanks to generous support of individuals like you.