Media releases

Animal rights organisation SAFE is alarmed by the inclusion of at least 14 fish farm developments in the Government’s recently released list of projects selected for fast tracking. These projects are being rushed through as a result of the new Fast Track Approvals Bill, with SAFE expressing concern at the...

Animal rights organisation SAFE is horrified by the staggering number of lambs dying in Southland as extreme weather continues to take its toll. Between August and mid-September, over 70,000 lambs have died, including 25,000 in just one week. These numbers, from the account of a single source, are likely only...

SAFE is renewing its urgent call for a ban on greyhound racing after the first race-related death of the 2024/25 season. Rocket Queen suffered a catastrophic compound fracture to her right leg during a race at Addington Raceway, Christchurch, on 20 September 2024. Read more

Animal rights organisation SAFE is outraged after receiving footage showing dead sheep and lambs on a Southland mud farm. Captured on the 7th and 8th September along State Highway 94, the footage reveals harrowing scenes of animal suffering, with numerous animals deceased across a mud-soaked paddock and others visibly shivering...

Thirteen greyhounds lost their lives in the 2023/24 racing season, almost doubling the seven reported in the previous season. SAFE Campaigns Manager Emma Brodie says the increase in fatalities, coupled with a rise in broken bones from 89 to 111, is a clear indication that the inherent dangers of racing...

SAFE (Save Animals from Exploitation) is urgently calling on the Government to intercept two intensive chicken farms proposed for Waikato, which would see nearly a half a million birds enduring confinement in overcrowded conditions, with avian influenza looming large. Read more

Animal rights organisation SAFE was stunned to hear Racing Minister Winston Peters’ recent comments about the future of greyhound racing. Winston Peters made headlines with his remarks during a select committee meeting and to media on Tuesday this week, stating he won’t ‘rush his decision’ on the future of greyhound...

SAFE is proud to back the Greenpeace initiated March for Nature to stand up against the government’s reckless Fast-Track Approvals Bill. Taking place on 8 June in Auckland, the march will bring together activists from across the country to demand justice for our precious environment, and for those who inhabit...

Yet another dog has died on New Zealand’s racetracks, prompting a renewed urgency in the calls for an end to the greyhound racing industry. On 24 May, Rapido Scud tragically died following a race at Hatrick Raceway in Wanganui. The dog collapsed at the lure and was pronounced dead upon...

Today marks a pivotal moment in the campaign to end greyhound racing in New Zealand as Dogwatch, HUHA, SAFE and SPCA announce a commitment to assisting the industry to rehome greyhounds. Published today in The Post, the joint statement outlines our commitment to facilitate greyhound rehoming should a ban on...

Two greyhounds were tragically killed following a single race at Christchurch’s Addington Raceway on 16 May 2024. Both Jovita and Palawa Queen were euthanised after suffering catastrophic fractures. SAFE Head of Investigations, Will Appelbe, says it is beyond comprehension that greyhounds continue to suffer and die on New Zealand racing...

Distressing new video footage from the opening day of this season’s duck shooting has been obtained by SAFE, highlighting the brutal reality faced by Aotearoa’s ducks. The video, taken on the morning of Saturday 4 May, captures a grievously wounded bird, shot by a hunter and unable to fly, struggling...

Today marks the one-year anniversary of New Zealand’s groundbreaking ban on live export by sea, a move hailed globally as a pioneering leap forward for animal welfare. Since its implementation on 30 April 2023, tens of thousands of animals have been spared the harrowing ordeal of sea journeys to countries...

SAFE is expressing deep concern over the Government’s proposed amendments to the Resource Management Act (RMA), particularly the repeal of all regulations on intensive winter grazing (also known as mud farming). The proposed reforms, announced by the Government yesterday, seek to remove existing regulations on mud farming, a move that...