Media releases

More cows to be exported from Napier Port to an uncertain fate

December 17th, 2020

Live export ship Dareen is expected to arrive at Napier Port this week to export a consignment of cows. This is the eighth livestock vessel to arrive at the Port this year. The cows are being exported for breeding purposes but will eventually be slaughtered in their destination country. Read...

More cows to be exported from Port Taranaki to an uncertain fate

December 17th, 2020

Live export ship Yangtze Harmony is expected to arrive at Port Taranaki this week to export a consignment of cows. This is the seventh livestock vessel to arrive at the Port this year. The cows are being exported for breeding purposes but will eventually be slaughtered in their destination country....

“It is overdue for the Government to appoint a Commissioner for Animals” – SAFE’s and NZALA’s open letter to the Prime Minister

December 17th, 2020

Last month the High Court found that the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor, on the advice of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), had acted unlawfully by not phasing out the use of farrowing crates and mating stalls. Now that the Government has accepted the Court’s decision, SAFE and...

SAFE zeroes in on rodeo with a new petition launching today

December 3rd, 2020

This Saturday, so-called ‘cowboys’ will put animals at risk of injury or death at the ‘Mad Bull’ rodeo in Otago and the WFL Bull Ride Martinborough. Two bulls were killed at the Mad Bull rodeo last year, and another was killed at the Martinborough bull ride in 2018. Read more

SAFE is shocked to find MPI advertising for a live export job vacancy

December 1st, 2020

Last year, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) embarked on a review of the live export industry, the outcome of which could be a ban on the trade. Despite this, MPI is currently advertising for a manager to look after live animal exports. The ministry says this is a team...

Animals will be at risk of injury or death at ‘Mad Bull’ rodeo this weekend – SAFE NZ

November 24th, 2020

The annual rodeo season continues this weekend with the first of three ‘Mad Bull’ rodeos on Saturday. Like last year, animals will be at risk of injury or death. Two animals died last rodeo season, both at ‘Mad Bull’ events. SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe said the treatment of animals at...

Greyhound racing industry killed 199 dogs last season – SAFE

November 24th, 2020

New figures from Greyhound Racing New Zealand’s 2020 annual report show the industry still has a problem with greyhound fatalities. The report states that 34 dogs were killed on racetracks, and 165 euthanised for undisclosed reasons during the 2019/20 season. Read more

“It’s long overdue” – SAFE urges the Government to release the live export review

November 17th, 2020

Animal rights organisation SAFE is calling on the Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor to release the live export review which he started in June last year. Four live export ships have arrived in New Zealand in the past fortnight. These shipments cleared the ‘backlog’ of approximately 24,000 cows that have been...

‘Wellington High Court finds farrowing crate minimum standards unlawful’

November 13th, 2020

In a Judgement released today, the High Court has ruled the Minister of Agriculture and the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) have acted illegally when they failed to phase out the farming practice farrowing crates for mother pigs. The ruling relied on NAWAC’s own internal view that farrowing crates...

Animals will be at risk of injury or death at Waipukurau bull ride this weekend – SAFE

November 10th, 2020

The annual rodeo season continues his weekend with the Waipukurau bull ride on Saturday. Like last year, animals will be at risk of injury or death. Two animals died last rodeo season, both at the ‘Mad Bull’ rodeo in Otago. SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe said the treatment of animals at...

Greyhound racing industry kills three dogs in three weeks

November 10th, 2020

On 22 October, Opawa Lola was killed at Cambridge Raceway in the Waikato. This was followed by Star of Pakistan and Sozin’s Assasin on 2 November, both of whom were killed at Addington Raceway in Christchurch. All three dogs suffered from a fractured radius and ulna and were euthanised as...

Damning new article about NZ rodeo cruelty hits UK media – SAFE NZ

November 9th, 2020

New footage from this year’s Winchester and Methven rodeos was published by the Independent yesterday. The footage shows bulls strapped with irritating flank straps bucking wildly, and calves lassoed by so-called ‘cowboys’ on horseback, then thrown to the ground, before being tied by their legs. Read more

Live export protest at Napier Port tomorrow 1pm – SAFE

November 6th, 2020

Animal rights organisation SAFE will be protesting the arrival of live export ship Yangtze Fortune on Saturday 7 November at 1pm, which is scheduled to ship a consignment of cows to China. The Yangtze Fortune has a sketchy history. In 2018, 33 cattle died following a shipment from Australia to...

Timaru locals to protest the arrival of a live export ship today – SAFE

November 4th, 2020

The world’s largest livestock vessel, the Ocean Drover, is scheduled to collect 7,945 cows from PrimePort in Timaru today. This is the first ship to arrive in New Zealand to export some of the 24,000 cows that have been in quarantine since the sinking of Gulf Livestock 1 in September....

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