News

Animal welfare advocates assemble in Napier to protest arrival of live export ‘death ship’

April 30th, 2022

Protesters have assembled in Napier to await the arrival of what they call the “death ship”. They’re calling for a stop to live exports and say the Anna Marra ship isn’t fit to be carrying cattle because of its checkered history. They protest as this was another action against the...

Pig farrowing crates: Govt seeks feedback on banning or limiting use

April 29th, 2022

The government is asking for feedback on whether farrowing crates should be banned or simply limited in their use. The use of farrowing crates for pigs was ruled unlawful by the High Court. Photo: Supplied / SAFE Farrowing crates keep sows in a confined spot during the final months of...

Equestrian: Horse-beating penalty for Olympic legend Sir Mark Todd branded ‘slap on wrist’

April 15th, 2022

Leading animal welfare group SAFE has slammed the suspension imposed on one of New Zealand’s greatest Olympians. Sir Mark Todd has received a four-month ban from training horses, after a video showed him hitting a horse with a tree branch. After already serving a two-month interim suspension and with the...

Greyhound industry criticised after dog euthanised

March 21st, 2022

Animal welfare organisation SAFE spokesman Will Appelbe says greyhound racing is inherently dangerous. An animal welfare group is accusing the greyhound racing industry of not being transparent after removing a section of video that showed a dog being seriously injured. Read more

A Chat With… Debra Ashton, chief executive of animal organisation SAFE

February 26th, 2022

Anti-farming, anti-NZ, traitor: those are just some of the names Debra Ashton has been called. But the chief executive of SAFE admits the passion she has for animals, and for making their lives better, far outweighs any personal cost. Ashton (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) lives in Wellington with her husband Joe...

‘Pretty disturbing’: Animal safety group calls for Govt to ban greyhound racing

February 23rd, 2022

An animal safety group is again calling for the Government to ban greyhound racing, citing the number of dogs either dying or suffering injuries. The Government won’t do that yet, but the industry only has one year to improve. Greyhound racing is a declining industry all over the world due...

Can Greyhound Racing Survive?

February 23rd, 2022

Can Greyhound Racing Survive? With damning reports of injury and doping, a once-fashionable sport is officially on notice. It’s mid-morning in the rural Manawatū. Gary Fredrickson is strolling through a gravel carpark adorned with a regal-looking wooden greyhound statue, a bounding black dog in tow. Read more

A sport on its last legs – can greyhound racing in New Zealand survive?

February 23rd, 2022

Greyhound owners get together to show how lovely the breed can be off the track. (Video first published June 2019) When Racing Minister Grant Robertson revealed his review on greyhound racing in September last year, it looked like the possible end for a sport that has been long debated over...

Dude, where are our cows? NZ’s live export trade must end now

February 23rd, 2022

Tricia Phillips was part of a group protesting against live cattle exports in Timaru at the weekend. Virginia Fallon is a Stuff senior writer and columnist based in Wellington. OPINION: A distinct smell of manure is emanating from one of New Zealand’s ports right now. Read more

Equestrian NZ expresses disappointment at social media video of Sir Mark Todd’s horse abuse

February 23rd, 2022

Equestrian NZ has distanced itself from the behaviour of Olympic legend Sir Mark Todd, who has been videoed beating a horse with a stick. Sir Mark’s abuse was posted on social media platform TikTok, as he tried to coax his horse across a water obstacle, and the eight-time Olympian and...

Sir Mark Todd’s actions highlight ‘systemic’ problems in equine sport

February 23rd, 2022

1988: Relive the glorious time when Todd and 16-year-old Charisma took gold again. A leading animal rights organisation has said the footage of equestrian champion Sir Mark Todd whipping a horse with a stick highlights “systemic” problems facing equine sports. Read more

Lawyers celebrate justice for animals

November 30th, 2020

A group of lawyers has stepped up to ensure the rule of law prevails in two cases of animal cruelty that are both legal firsts in Aotearoa. New Zealand’s first rodeo prosecution The New Zealand Animal Law Association (NZALA) successfully took a private prosecution against Northland farmer Derek Robinson in...

SPCA joins calls for greyhound racing to be banned after more dogs die

November 30th, 2020

The SPCA has joined calls for greyhound racing to be banned following the death of three dogs within three weeks. It comes as the Greyhound Protection League, alongside animal rights charity Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE), has created a petition to ban the sport. Read more

Almost 200 greyhounds were euthanised during the last racing season

November 30th, 2020

A total of 199 greyhounds were euthanised in the last racing season, according to Greyhound Racing New Zealand. The organisation has released its 2020 Annual Report, which details the number of dogs euthanised either after being injured during races, or for undisclosed reasons. Read more

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