News

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...

SAFE has laid an official complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority over a Tegel ‘free-range’ chicken advertisement, which it says is grossly misleading. The television advertisement shows happy cartoon chickens running around an expansive outdoor farm, with lyrics claiming the chickens are “free to roam around outside… for some chicken fun.”...

SAFE congratulates Kiwi snack giant, Cookie Time, for embracing the international cage-free egg trend. After being encouraged by SAFE, the cookie company has released policy for all their brands to phase out cage eggs. “[Cookie Time] is committed to switching to 100 per cent cage-free eggs by 2023,” the company...

On behalf of the SAFE Board, I would like to apologise for the change in date of the SAFE AGM. Please disregard your earlier invitation. I would now like to formally invite you to the 2018 Annual General Meeting which will take place on Saturday 24 November in Wellington. The...

SAFE is slamming the Government for its refusal to separate the agriculture and animal welfare portfolios, in a breach of its election commitments. Responsibility for animal welfare was assigned to the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor, after the role was stripped from Meka Whaitiri. During the election campaign, Labour stated...

SAFE is applauding manufacturers Delmaine Fine Foods and George Weston Foods for joining the international cage-free egg movement. After hearing from SAFE, both food giants have developed domestic policies in line with this growing trend. Delmaine is one of the most prominent fresh egg pasta suppliers in the country, both...

New Zealand is becoming a plant-powered nation. Pizza giant Domino’s has finally given us vegan cheese. We have our very own chicken-free chicken made from pea protein. Z – a petrol station, of all things! – now have two vegan pies, and even a sorbet. We are spoilt for choice as...

Animal rights group SAFE is taking aim at the misleading labels on the packaging of chickens bred for meat. Annually, around 120 million chickens are bred for meat in New Zealand, and that figure is increasing each year.  The birds are selectively bred to double in size every week, before...