News

New regulations on the treatment of bobby calves come into force today, with animal advocates calling the new rules mediocre at best. The regulations include some changes to transport and shelter rules for the animals.   The regulations created by the Ministry for Primary Industries are an update on previous...

Justice has been belatedly served for the calves brutalised by a  slaughterhouse worker, according to animal advocacy charity SAFE. The  worker was today sentenced to 10 months home detention and community  service. SAFE says animal rights groups can take the credit for the  conviction, as the cruelty would not have...

Kiwi children are demonstrating their passion and commitment towards protecting animals by bravely standing up to supermarket giant Countdown. From creating video messages to Countdown’s CEO to starting up a nation-wide petition demanding Countdown stop selling all cage eggs, they are making their voices heard.   At 11am today, two...

Animal advocacy group SAFE welcomes the greyhound racing bans announced by the NSW and ACT State Governments.  The bans follow a Commission of Inquiry report showing widespread and systemic animal abuse.   “The Australian bans are an enormous step forward in abolishing this  cruel pastime and SAFE is calling on...

Animal advocacy group SAFE is outraged at Government plans to  export large numbers of live sheep to Saudi Arabia where the animals  would be slaughtered under conditions illegal in New Zealand.   This weekend, current affairs show The Nation exposed questionable  dealings between our Government and Saudi business interests that...

Guest blogger Carl Scott shares his views on eating animals. Carl  is an ex-slaughterhouse worker, comes from a meat-eating, hunting  family and has now become one of the country’s most outspoken animal  rights activists. Some people say what we eat and other lifestyle choices that involve  harming animals are a...

I have a theory about cats. They come into your life for a reason and more often than not they choose you. This is certainly true of the amazing Max. (AKA Maxibon. AKA The Bon) https://safenewzealand.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/maxibon4.jpg?w=742&h=374 742w, https://safenewzealand.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/maxibon4.jpg?w=150&h=76 150w, https://safenewzealand.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/maxibon4.jpg?w=300&h=151 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px” width=”371″ height=”187″> I was flat...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...