News

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced this morning that as part of this year’s budget the Government is to invest $5.4 million over four years to improve animal welfare. “It’s great to see the Government investing in animal welfare,” says SAFE CEO Debra Ashton. Read more

New Zealand is facing an animal welfare crisis with up to 5000 fast-growing pigs unable to be sent to slaughter every week during the coronavirus lockdown. Independent butchers were left off the Government’s list of essential businesses allowed to open during the lockdown and were forced to close last week....

Cargo revenue is now more important than ever for Air New Zealand after passenger demand fell off a cliff due to coronavirus. Puppies, kittens and other pets waiting to go home are stuck in limbo as pet travel remains banned under level 4 coronavirus restrictions. Read more

Many industries have been placed under pressure, with the Pork industry being a focus. Over the past few weeks, questions have been raised by animal rights groups about the welfare of pigs as the industry deals with a surplus and an inability to process and sell fast enough. Read more

Your playlist will load after this ad The Auckland Island pig was unaware his life was in the balance if he wasn’t relocated from an Auckland research facility. Source: Seven Sharp re rescued pig, lockdown, coronavirus, Covid-19, interviewed: Tara Sutherland, pig rescuer; Will Appelbe, S.A.F.E. Read more

As a young chef slinging steaks on the grill at one of Sydney’s hippest restaurants, Tom Riley never thought about trading the thrill of cooking on the line (and the late nights of partying) for something else. It was at one of those late-night parties in 2008 that he set...

In this episode, we speak to Danielle Duffield, co-founder of the New Zealand Animal Law association about New Zealand’s animal welfare laws. Greyhound racing has restarted under alert level 3, and fast food faces unprecedented demand at drive-throughs. B

It’s Meat-Free May! People all over the world are taking part by cutting out meat for the month and embracing the delicious and healthy alternatives available. Some are going the extra mile by cutting out animal products altogether, including dairy and eggs. We all know this is a great move...

Paris Waterworth is SAFE’s Campaigns Assistant and resident legal expert. She was admitted to the bar in 2019. In this series, Paris will be demystifying legal processes and shedding light on how court proceedings can translate into real-world justice for animals like mother pigs. The Animal Welfare Act 1999 is...

The Greyhound Racing New Zealand 2019 annual report illustrates that 293 dogs were euthanised in 2019 due to the industry’s failure to rehome them. A further 54 were euthanised at the track due to critical injuries sustained during racing. Greyhound racing is set to restart today, with races scheduled in...

Last week a member of ‘The Great NZ Lock Up Mouse Hunt Comp’ Facebook group posted an image of a dead cat that they had caught in a trap. Another member commented on the photo, gloating about the number of cats he had killed since January, which included 25 kittens....

High-end Auckland restaurant Pasture has been selling live crayfish as part of their produce boxes, but what does that mean for the crayfish? Just like mammals, crayfish have a nervous system that is capable of feeling pain. They have sensory and opioid receptors and demonstrate reduced responses to painful procedures...

Absence is said to make the heart grow fonder, but in the case of the high demand for KFC at the end of the Level 4 COVID-19 restrictions, I wonder if the people who queued in their masses to get their first post-lockdown takeaway really knew what they were eating....

Wild animals are doing it tough in cages, both in New Zealand and abroad, and on Netflix it seems. We speak to Dr. Nik Taylor about animal human relationships, oppression, violence, and how these intertwine and play a role in our society. And Taranaki loc