News

  The “PigCare” system purports to be “New Zealand’s only independently verified animal welfare programme” and products carrying the label claim to have high welfare standards. But SAFE’s Head of Campaigns, Marianne Macdonald, is calling bull on the claims. “Farms only need to adhere to the minimum animal welfare standards...

SAFE is nominating New Zealand Pork’s ‘PigCare’ label for the 2018 Bad Taste Food Awards, in recognition of its deception of consumers in the name of profit. The awards are run by Consumer NZ and recognise the country’s most misleading advertisements. The ‘PigCare’ system purports to be “New Zealand’s only independently...

The social licence for factory farming is on a sharp decline. All major supermarket chains in New Zealand now have a policy to move away from selling cage eggs, while sales of free-range meat and eggs are booming. The Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, recently warned farmers that the “lowest common...

A woman will be trapped in a cage on top of a hospital bed outside Parliament tomorrow, to draw attention to the ‘absurd’ comparison of farrowing crates to maternity wards. The demonstration is being organised by SAFE on Thursday 25 October, and follows the organisation’s oral submission on a 112,844 signature...

A woman was trapped in a cage on top of a hospital bed today outside Parliament, to draw attention to the ‘absurd’ comparison of farrowing crates to maternity wards. This demonstration was held after the Parliamentary Primary Production Select Committee had listened to submissions from SAFE and New Zealand Pork,...

SAFE is calling on two councils to think about the wellbeing of millions of birds, as well as the negative impacts on local people through increased traffic and pollution, when they hear a consent application for a huge chicken farm in Waikato. Matamata Poultry Limited wants to build a six-shed...

Drone footage released by SAFE this week revealed the jaw-dropping scale of the Wakanui feedlot in Canterbury.  The film was met by widespread disgust from Kiwis, who were shocked to see American-style intensive zero-grazing operations, right here in New Zealand. Their outrage grew when they found out how widely this so-called ‘premium...

SAFE is calling on two councils to think about the wellbeing of millions of birds, as well as the negative impacts on local people through increased traffic and pollution, when they hear a consent application for a huge chicken farm in Waikato. Matamata Poultry Limited wants to build a six-shed...

SAFE is appalled that a horse has been killed at the Methven rodeo today and that animals continue to be put at risk at rodeo events to provide fun for a minority.  SAFE’s Head of Campaigns Marianne Macdonald says that while details are still scarce over what happened to this...

Claims that a South Westland farmer left a cow hoisted for an unacceptably long time are being investigated by MPI, but only it appears after SAFE took the complaint to the media. British tourist Ed Shephard was driving near Franz Josef on Friday afternoon when he saw a cow suspended...

The Ministry for Primary Industries told someone making an animal welfare complaint to go to the police instead, because it didn’t have the resources to investigate. British tourist Ed Shephard was driving near Franz Josef on Friday afternoon when he saw a cow suspended by hip clamps, and returned two...

SAFE is very pleased to learn of more New Zealand businesses who have committed to removing their support for rodeo. Animal abuse is still set to occur at rodeo events across the country this summer, but that hasn’t stopped Kiwi businesses from making a clear statement that they do not...

SAFE is furious at the “toothless tweaks” put forward in new recommendations for rodeo. The long-awaited report by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee is extremely disappointing and fails to implement any meaningful changes. The major recommendation is for the development of a “rodeo animal welfare forum” comprising of rodeo...

It has been nearly seven months since MP Gareth Hughes accepted SAFE’s petition to ban farrowing crates. This was the largest petition Parliament had received in five years, and it was promptly given to the Primary Production Select Committee to consider. Since then the committee has asked for submissions from...