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

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 Knowles, a company director, and their two cats, four chickens and one pigeon.