News

New report shows factory farming the wrong direction for New Zealand

June 16th, 2016

The government released its report on the outlook for the primary industries today. SAFE says the report demonstrates factory farming is the wrong direction for New Zealand. “Only 1.8% of the money involved in farming came from pigs and chickens in 2015. The government is writing all these exemptions...

Three NZ horses dead in single day of racing

June 8th, 2016

The deaths of three horses in jumps races at an Auckland meeting on Queen’s Birthday, has animal advocates demanding that jumps racing be banned. Tu Meta Peta was euthanised after jumping the first fence awkwardly, falling and fracturing his right shoulder at the Ellerslie racecourse. Musashi was killed after...

Could tomorrow be the last day for rodeo in New Zealand?

June 1st, 2016

Leading animal advocacy organisations hope tomorrow could spell the end for rodeo in New Zealand as the government convenes to consider animal welfare concerns. The discussions on 2 June involve a formal hearing with a Select Committee mulling over a ban on rodeo. The Select Committee hearing will include...

Caged hen campaign takes flight – Countdown to be targeted with plane

June 1st, 2016

The opening of Countdown’s new flagship Ponsonby store on June 2 will see animal advocacy organisation SAFE in the air and on the ground, taking bold action on behalf of New Zealand hens: ramping up the consumer campaign for Countdown to phase out cage eggs. SAFE says Countdown is...

Cute animals videos are good for you!

May 30th, 2016

Pretending to work or study, but secretly looking at cute animal videos, are we? Well, now you can ditch that guilt for good because I have the Best. News. EVER! It’s official: Looking at photos of cute animals makes you happy and can even improve your concentration and dexterity. Oh...

Duck shooting: Celebrating violence

May 10th, 2016

Every time I see or hear a pro-duck shooting advertisement in mainstream media it never fails to shock me a little. Surely your average, caring Kiwi is not OK with the idea of blasting wildlife out of the sky for fun? Anyone would think that New Zealanders as a whole...

Duck shooting: Killing and poisoning for fun

May 5th, 2016

Government still allowing lead shot loophole for duck shooters Saturday 7 May will herald another season of death for hundreds of thousands of ducks, swans and geese—including native wildfowl—as the duck shooting season opens. Not only will around a million birds be killed by shooters, but tens of thousands will...

This Earth Day, reap what you sow – and no, I’m not talking about tree planting

April 21st, 2016

Call me sentimental, but one of my favourite things to do on Earth Day is to gather my favourite people and treat them to a home cooked, candlelit dinner. My hope for each year’s meal is that we slow down and enjoy some beautiful food, company and conversation about how...

Government blatantly disregards the law on pigs

April 20th, 2016

Farrowing crates are likely to be used for the foreseeable future after a report by a government committee claims no suitable alternatives exist. But the use of Farrowing crates breaks New Zealand’s animal welfare laws, as the crates do not allow sows to express their normal behaviour. Farrowing crates...

New regulations, but same old suffering for the animals

April 15th, 2016

A complete farce. That’s what animal advocates are calling the new proposed animal welfare regulations, which the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has devised. The suggested changes are over 100 pages long, but SAFE says that very little will change for the animals. The rules cover almost every...

Do you really love animals?

April 15th, 2016

Around 15 years ago I was walking past a popular eatery in my hometown of Derby (UK) when I came across a group of animal rights activists dressed as kangaroos, covered in fake blood and protesting loudly outside the entrance. I quickly cottoned on to the fact that the group...

Caged hen investigation proves new colony cages are cruel

April 6th, 2016

A brand new colony cage farm that supplies eggs to major New Zealand supermarkets has been exposed in an undercover investigation that shows extensive cruelty to hens. Filmed by investigators from Farmwatch, the footage shows: Hens trapped beneath perches and left to starve to death; Dead hens left to rot...

Footage available from inside fire-plagued pig farm

April 1st, 2016

Animal advocacy group SAFE is horrified that dozens of pigs have burnt to death at a pig farm north of Ngaruawahia. The current fire is the third at the property, after 400 mother pigs and piglets burnt to death in August 2015. 300 animals died in a similar blaze in...

60,000-strong ban rodeo petition to be handed in to parliament

March 17th, 2016

Today, leading animal advocacy organisations SAFE, SPCA and Farmwatch will be outside Parliament to hand in their joint petition calling for an end to rodeo. The petition will be handed to Green MP Mojo Mathers, calling on the Government to make this the last ever rodeo season. The petition has...