Media releases

SAFE CEO Debra Ashton and SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen have co-authored a letter to Jacinda Ardern asking her to show the world just how kind New Zealand is by banning the export of live animals. The letter was published in this morning’s edition of the New Zealand Herald and a...

Animal rights organisation SAFE will host an international virtual protest this evening against the live export trade. Over 6,000 people have registered to attend the protest, who are all calling on the New Zealand Government to permanently ban the export of live animals. Read more

The Ministry for Primary Industries has today launched an independent review into the assurances for safe transport of livestock by sea. Mike Heron QC has been appointed to lead the review, which is expected to take about a month. SAFE Campaigns Manager Marianne Macdonald says this review won’t make a...

In an interview with RNZ Checkpoint yesterday, Dr John Hellstrom ONZM described his first-hand experience seeing New Zealand cattle suffer overseas which, in his view, meant a ban on live export is necessary. His concerns highlight the need to ensure all animals are treated humanely and protected from unnecessary suffering...

The Gulf Livestock 1 has a history of engine problems. During a voyage in July 2019, the livestock vessel drifted for 25 hours whilst undergoing repairs following an engine failure. Australasian Global Exports (AGE), the company exporting the 5,867 cows on the Gulf Livestock 1 before it capsized, was reprimanded...

Livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress signal at 4:45am NZT yesterday in the East China Sea. The area is affected by Typhoon Maysak. At 4pm a patrol plane spotted a lifeboat – with no people in it – and a man in lifejacket nearby. The ship departed Napier...

New footage released by SAFE today shows a cow in labour in a mud-filled paddock and another who has recently given birth. Other cows and their young calves were filmed, as well as one cow with what appears to be her dead calf. The footage and photos were taken from...

In the first episode of TV series ‘Meat the Family,’ which aired on TVNZ 1 last night, a family was given three chickens to raise as ‘pets’ over a three-week period. At the end of this time they were then faced with the decision whether to kill and eat the...

The livestock carrier Dareen is due to collect approximately 7,300 cows from Napier tomorrow, following the Yangtze Harmony which collected a consignment of cows from Port Taranaki yesterday. The ships arrive in the wake of an investigation launched by Australian Federal agencies into the inhumane slaughter of Australian cattle in...

The Governance and Administration Select Committee has failed to protect animals by recommending no limitations on the sale of fireworks to the public in a recent report. The report was issued in response to three separate petitions, all of which asked for public sales of fireworks to be banned. Read...

This week, Taranaki locals stumbled across a pit full of dead dairy calves, dumped on public land nearby a waterway. Graphic images of the scene were shared with SAFE. SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says the horrific images are the reality of the dairy industry. Read more

The Green Party has put animals on the political agenda for this election with the announcement of their animal welfare policy at their election campaign launch today. The policy includes a promise to establish a Minister and Parliamentary Commissioner for Animal Welfare. Read more

SAFE’s Political Panel for Animals 2020 is now available to watch on YouTube. The Panel hosted last night in Wellington and included Hon Damien O’Connor, MP (Labour), Hon David Bennett, MP (National), Gareth Hughes, MP (Greens) and Mark Patterson, MP (NZ First). Read more

Last night at SAFE’s ‘Political Panel for Animals’, Green MP Gareth Hughes gave a sneak peek of his party’s upcoming animal welfare policy. It will include a ban on factory farming. SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says this is a massive step forward for animals. Read more