Media releases

Last week the Otago Daily Times revealed an unidentified punter placed a $10,000 bet on greyhound Zipping Sarah, who won her race at the Addington Raceway in November 2020 before testing positive for methamphetamine. Of the 481 bets placed totalling $23,083, this was by far the most significant bet placed...

SAFE will join people around the country tomorrow, who are rallying together from midday to demonstrate their opposition to the two-year phase-out of live export by sea. As part of a ‘National Day of Action,’ independently organised protests will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch, Whangarei, Whanganui, Nelson and...

Yesterday, near Long Beach in Otago, a member of the public found 15-20 dead ducks illegally dumped by bird shooters. The dead birds had been dumped in a rest area where many families stop to feed birds. SAFE Campaigns Manager Jessica Chambers said the dumped ducks show how little regard...

Details of a case where harness racing trainer Jesse Alford was caught administering dangerous substances to two horses were revealed at a Judicial Control Authority for Racing hearing this week. Alford injected two horses with formalin, which contains formaldehyde, which can have a serious impact on a horses’ health. Read...

Last month the greyhound trainer Angela Turnwald was fined $3,500 and disqualified for four months after their dog Zipping Sarah tested positive for methamphetamine. Despite the known risks of administering meth to a dog, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will not pursue criminal charges under the Animal Welfare Act...

The bird shooting season, which begins on Saturday 1 May this year, means countless birds, including natives like pūkeko, kakīānau (black swan), pūtangitangi (paradise shelduck), pārera (grey duck) and kuruwhengi (Australasian shoveler duck), will be killed. Read more

SAFE has written to the Minister for Racing, Grant Robertson, and the Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare), Meka Whaitiri, demanding that dog racing be suspended until the Government’s review is completed. SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe said recent events have proven that greyhounds continue to be at risk. Read more

A two year phase out of live export by sea means that hundreds of thousands of animals will continue to suffer, including the cows due to leave Port Taranaki today on the Ocean Ute. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced earlier this month that the export of live animals by sea...

In a judgement released yesterday, the Judicial Control Authority for Racing fined greyhound trainer Angela Turnwald $3,500 and disqualified them for four months in a doping case. The case was bought by the Racing Integrity Unity after the greyhound Zipping Sarah tested positive for methamphetamine. Read more

This year will be the 50th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup of greyhound racing. The Silver Collar is described by the Auckland Greyhound Racing Club as a ‘gruelling’ and ‘stamina-sapping affair,’ raced over an ‘extreme’ 779 meters, which is twice as long as a typical race. Read more

The two-year phaseout of the export of livestock by sea, announced by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor last week, could mean over 200,000 animals will be shipped overseas before the cruel trade is ended. TVNZ’s ‘Sunday’ programme last night revealed ship wide suffering on the Yangtze Harmony last year, where 49...

The Government has just announced a review of the greyhound racing industry, following reports from SAFE, Greyhound Protection League and Grey2K USA Worldwide of ongoing cruelty within the greyhound racing industry. In the announcement, Minister for Racing Grant Robertson said he is not satisfied the industry is improving animal welfare,...

The Government today has announced a ban on the export of livestock by sea. The trade will be phased out over two years. SAFE CEO Debra Ashton said she’s pleased to see the Government is taking animal welfare seriously. “SAFE has been campaigning on this issue for many years because...

Six dogs have suffered broken legs at New Zealand greyhound races in the past two weeks. On Sunday, in a video broadcast by the TAB, in Race 3 at Auckland, greyhound All Day Long suffered a harrowing fall and broken leg. On the same day, at the same track, Spring...