Animal Welfare Bill In Political Peril

Sep 202010
 

Animal advocates are concerned that Act and the National Party will jeopardise improving animal welfare standards in New Zealand.

Labour, the Green Party and United Future are in support of the Animal Welfare (Treatment of Animals) Amendment Bill that could lead to a phase-out of cruel practices such as battery hen cages and sow crates. SAFE says Act and the National Party remain unwilling to support this Bill despite it having the potential to protect millions of animals from suffering.

Animal advocates from SAFE, RNZSPCA and WSPA strongly support the Bill and applaud the parties that endorse it. SAFE says that it is not too late for Act and National to change their stance and urges them not to stand in the way of a landmark decision that will provide better protection for factory-farmed animals.

“The Animal Welfare (Treatment of Animals) Amendment Bill, drafted by Green MP Sue Kedgley, will prohibit cruel factory farming practices that do not meet the obligations of the Animal Welfare Act. The Bill seeks to phase-out any cruel practices within five years,” says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

A media conference in Wellington today will include representatives or statements from SAFE, RNZSPCA, WSPA, Labour and the Green Party as well as a statement from comedian Mike King.

“Ms Kedgley’s Bill seeks to close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that allows animals to suffer. In order for it to progress to select committee, support is needed from either the Act Party or National Party. The Bill will have its first reading on 22 September,” says Mr Kriek.

“Opinion polls show that eight out of ten New Zealanders are opposed to sow crates and battery hen cages and it would be a disgrace if this Bill were not allowed to be debated in select committee,” says Mr Kriek.

“The National-led Government has so far shown good leadership on a number of animal welfare issues. They must now show that they care equally about farm animal welfare by supporting this important Bill,” says Mr Kriek.

Piggery owner fined over effluent

Sep 122010
 
Judge Dwyer said Kay had consent for his effluent to be transported from Foxton to Levin and dispersed on farmland there. The system worked well until April, when the company that was transporting and dispersing the effluent pulled out because it was no longer financially viable.
The owner of the dispersal site refused to let another company do the work, so Kay began filling two unused effluent ponds on his Foxton property.
When winter rain caused the ponds to overflow, Kay instructed staff to dispose of the effluent over a section of the property, despite knowingly breaking the rules and his staff expressing concerns, Judge Dwyer said. “There can be no dispute that this offending was deliberate.”
Prosecution lawyer Evan McCaughan said Kay had a previous conviction for effluent mismanagement at his larger 2000-sow piggery, south of Levin.
That piggery, in Kuku Beach Rd, made headlines last year when animal welfare organisation Open Rescue and comedian Mike King broke in and supplied media with footage of seemingly stressed animals. A public outcry sparked a review of a welfare code governing pig farming, which is due to be completed this month.
Kay’s farm was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing by government inspectors.

By MICHAEL FORBES – The Dominion Post

Judge Dwyer said Kay had consent for his effluent to be transported from Foxton to Levin and dispersed on farmland there. The system worked well until April, when the company that was transporting and dispersing the effluent pulled out because it was no longer financially viable.

The owner of the dispersal site refused to let another company do the work, so Kay began filling two unused effluent ponds on his Foxton property.

When winter rain caused the ponds to overflow, Kay instructed staff to dispose of the effluent over a section of the property, despite knowingly breaking the rules and his staff expressing concerns, Judge Dwyer said. “There can be no dispute that this offending was deliberate.”

Prosecution lawyer Evan McCaughan said Kay had a previous conviction for effluent mismanagement at his larger 2000-sow piggery, south of Levin.

That piggery, in Kuku Beach Rd, made headlines last year when animal welfare organisation Open Rescue and comedian Mike King broke in and supplied media with footage of seemingly stressed animals. A public outcry sparked a review of a welfare code governing pig farming, which is due to be completed this month.

Kay’s farm was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing by government inspectors.

Online Poll: Do you think battery cages should be banned?

Aug 162010
 

The Code of Welfare for Layers Hens will be reviewed later this year. Government and the egg industry won’t make positive changes for hens by themselves. Consistent pressure from the public is the key to creating change. That means you!

Do you think battery cages should be banned?

Go to our website and participate in our online POLL to make your voice heard!

New Zealand Open Rescue
PO Box 37612
Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
www.nzopenrescue.org.nz

Free range egg production – not all it’s cracked up to be

Aug 092010
 
Free range egg production – not all it’s cracked up to be
Recently New Zealand Open Rescue inspected a Free Range egg production facility located in the lower North Island. This facility was a small scale commercial operation but we were shocked at what we uncovered. From the outside, the facility looked like a typical battery hen unit; ominous, industrial scale warehouse sheds with large feed silos. Inside the units, things looked quite different but the callous treatment of animals as mere units of production was exactly the same as on any other type of factory farm.
Several thousand egg laying hens were crammed inside the sheds which were sectioned in half. The hens were panicked and hysterical, terrified of humans. As we moved slowly through the crowds of hens documenting their living conditions, we noticed several of them suffered from prolapses and many had rubbed red raw skin. All the hens in this facility were de-beaked.  Free Range hens are still often de-beaked as living in flocks of several thousand is highly un-natural. Hens can’t find any sort of meaningful social order in such large flocks, so fighting is constant in order to establish hierarchy.
Following our visit to this facility, we were shocked to learn that there are no regulations around how often supposed ‘Free Range’ hens are meant to be allowed access to the outdoors. A local in the area told us that they had seen the hens at the facility we visited outside only once in over a year!  We felt that the many people who purchase Free Range eggs in good faith that conditions for animals are better in this type of production system, would be shocked if they had seen what we witnessed. The idyllic scene of happy Free Range hens scratching in the earth and basking in the sunshine that comes to mind when people purchase Free Range eggs was certainly not what we experienced during our investigation at this typical Free Range facility.
View photographs from our investigation here
New Zealand Open Rescue
PO Box 37612
Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.nzopenrescue.org.nz

Recently New Zealand Open Rescue inspected a Free Range egg production facility located in the lower North Island. This facility was a small scale commercial operation but we were shocked at what we uncovered. From the outside, the facility looked like a typical battery hen unit; ominous, industrial scale warehouse sheds with large feed silos. Inside the units, things looked quite different but the callous treatment of animals as mere units of production was exactly the same as on any other type of factory farm.

Several thousand egg laying hens were crammed inside the sheds which were sectioned in half. The hens were panicked and hysterical, terrified of humans. As we moved slowly through the crowds of hens documenting their living conditions, we noticed several of them suffered from prolapses and many had rubbed red raw skin. All the hens in this facility were de-beaked.  Free Range hens are still often de-beaked as living in flocks of several thousand is highly un-natural. Hens can’t find any sort of meaningful social order in such large flocks, so fighting is constant in order to establish hierarchy.

Following our visit to this facility, we were shocked to learn that there are no regulations around how often supposed ‘Free Range’ hens are meant to be allowed access to the outdoors. A local in the area told us that they had seen the hens at the facility we visited outside only once in over a year!  We felt that the many people who purchase Free Range eggs in good faith that conditions for animals are better in this type of production system, would be shocked if they had seen what we witnessed. The idyllic scene of happy Free Range hens scratching in the earth and basking in the sunshine that comes to mind when people purchase Free Range eggs was certainly not what we experienced during our investigation at this typical Free Range facility.

View photographs from our investigation here

New Zealand Open Rescue
PO Box 37612
Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand

New Footage Shows More Pig Abuse

Jul 262010
 

Shocking new footage has emerged of pigs at the same Levin farm exposed by TVNZ’s Sunday programme more than a year ago.

The footage, filmed by Open Rescue who accompanied Mike King on the Levin farm last year, reveals stressed and injured sows tightly packed in crates or confined in small concrete pens. The grisly footage shows pigs suffering from a variety of injuries that include bleeding sores caused by constant contact with the bars, flesh wounds that appear to be gangrenous, bloody feet and a sow with a badly infected and swollen ear.

Watch the Close Up interview

Documents Reveal NZ Pork Defiant

Jun 212010
 

20 June 2010

The pork industry has again come under scrutiny after documents released under the Official Information Act reveal the industry will not accept a ban on pig crates and wants to confine pregnant sows in crates for half their lives.

National animal advocacy organisation SAFE says the New Zealand Pork Industry Board (NZ Pork) just won’t compromise, despite overwhelming public opposition to sow crates. SAFE is also highly critical of NZ Pork’s new consumer labelling campaign that is likely to deceive the New Zealand public.

“SAFE is appalled that NZ Pork continues to oppose a ban on cruel confinement systems. NZ Pork continues to lobby to be permitted to keep sows in crates for eleven consecutive weeks during each pregnancy cycle. If the government accepts this position, nearly half a sow’s life will be spent inside a cruel crate. This is totally unacceptable and in breach of the Animal Welfare Act,” says Hans Kriek, campaign director of SAFE.

In recent developments in Australia Rivalea, the country’s largest pork producer, has stated it will cease using sow stalls for all of its 45,000 sows (more than all the sows in New Zealand) by 2017. Last week Tasmania announced a ban on sow stalls, also by 2017. This was followed by the Australian Pork industry initiating industry-wide consultation about a nationwide voluntary ban on sow stalls.

“Instead of banning sow crates to significantly improve pig welfare, NZ Pork is about to release what can only be described as a dubious marketing gimmick in an attempt to convince consumers the pig industry is ‘welfare-friendly’,” says Mr Kriek.

SAFE says NZ Pork will soon announce a new scheme that will label pig products as ‘100% New Zealand Welfare Approved’.

“This labelling scheme does not guarantee pig welfare at all, as farms with sow and farrowing crates will qualify to use the label. This misleading label will continue to keep consumers in the dark as to what production methods have been used and is nothing but a deceitful ploy to increase sales,” says Mr Kriek.

SAFE calls on consumers to continue to boycott factory-farmed pork as the industry is demonstrating it cannot be trusted.

For more information contact Hans Kriek: 027 446 2711.

Newly obtained undercover video footage, supplied to SAFE by Open Rescue, reveals that no improvements have been made on pig farms. The footage shows depressed pigs, severely undernourished sows, excessive bar biting and dead or dying piglets. Footage is available on request.

Urgent Homes needed for Dogs – Can you help?

Jun 212010
 

Linda from Animal Re-homing does wonderful work with animals. As well as these dogs, there are cats (including a Russian Blue), a rooster and a mini-lop eared rabbit called Cosmo who all need new homes. Can you help?

Animal Rehoming Adoption

URGENT: HALFPINT & RASTA NEED A LOVING HOME…TOGETHER OR SEPARATELY

When his father was on his deathbed his son, Wil, promised him that he would take care of his three dogs for him after his passing. Wil has been managing this lovely trio in his suburban flat, but the landlord told him from the outset that they all have to go. In desperation Wil contacted me and has been searching for alternate accommodation. He is moving into a new flat next week where the landlord is allowing him to keep one dog only. That leaves senior dogs, Rasta and Halfpint, facing an untimely lethal injection and Wil distraught at the thought…

Both dogs are toilet trained and have been accustomed to an optional indoor & outdoor lifestyle, where they sleep in the house at night; and this must be allowed to continue in their new home(s). They are both deserving of a loving caregiver’s time and affection and a happy retirement. If you have a securely fenced and gated property and can open your heart to one or both of these dogs for the rest of their lives, I very much look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.

Linda (Animal Rehoming)

HALFPINT

HALFPINT is a 27kg, ex-SPCA, 9-year-old Boxer X Rottweiler – although neither breed is particularly obvious in his appearance. Wil describes him as a red sable boy with big Scooby-doo type features. Halfpint is alert and athletic, and is neutered, registered, vaccinated and worm & flea treated. He has always kept excellent health and has been recently vet checked. He is an exceptionally friendly dog who gets along with other canines and all humans.

To quote Wil, “You just have to look at his picture…what you see is what he’s like…a big lovable goof, who’s so much fun and loves to chew on a treat”.

RASTA

RASTA is an 18kg, ex-SPCA, 11-year-old Labrador X Whippet with a coat of almost white hair. Lumps & bumps and a slight limp aside, he is in good physical shape. He is the alpha dog in the trio and will not put up with his buddies stealing food from his bowl – otherwise he enjoys the company of other canines. Due to his age it would be best if he is not able to be harassed by small children. He is also neutered, etc.

Wil says, “Don’t let the age scare you away…he’s an extremely obedient and loyal dog who just needs boundaries and time to garner a relationship…he is very happy and active and still runs around the back yard and handles a long walk, although not as fast as he once was…he loves attention and actually smiles and wags his tail ridiculously…”.

XANDER WOULD PREFER COMPANY MOST OF THE DAY PLEASE

When I visited little Xander and Carolyn at their West Auckland home, the love between them was undeniable. Before she was confined to a wheelchair, Carolyn rescued him as a pup from death row at a dog pound. That was 8 years ago and he has been her beloved companion ever since. Because she lives alone, Carolyn is finding it increasingly difficult to care for Xander, to stop him from running off when she needs to treat his skin and she feels sad that he isn’t having the walks he so enjoys. With a heavy heart she has asked me to find him a home where he will be absolutely cherished, walked and played with every day and where the new caregiver will be dedicated to helping him with his skin allergies.

Weighing in at just 10kg, this Fox Terrier X needs a home where he will again have company most of the time. Standing at about knee height, Xander is a lively and interested little fellow who likes to play and endearingly stand on his hind legs to beg for treats. He is predominantly black with a white flash down his chest and over his paws. As he approaches his senior years, the grey hair is cutely appearing around his muzzle and eyebrows. Xander is neutered, registered, vaccinated, micro-chipped, worm and flea treated. He was once bitten by a dog and has a pin in his back right leg. When I took him for a walk, there was no sign of any discomfort and when I broke into a run, Xander was very happy to playfully increase the pace. He walks well on a leash and, in my opinion, is just a dear little fellow. Xander has lived with two cats and is very sociable with other dogs.

In Carolyn’s words, Xander is
“…very intelligent with a gentle, affectionate nature. He will jump up on to a lap for cuddles and enjoys exercise. He needs someone who is either at home a lot or able to take him to work. Also someone who is physically fit and able to exercise him regularly or has someone who can. His new caregivers must be happy to let him come inside and sleep indoors at night. He would be good with gentle children or another dog. Basically, he is a sociable dog who would enjoy the company of anyone who loves animals..”.

If you have a fenced and gated property which is at least 2 metres high, if you are home most of the time and if you are able walk Xander and make him the centre of your universe, then I very much look forward to your application. Thank you.

Pork Labelling Deceptive

Jun 082010
 

New Zealand Pork’s new initiative to introduce a ‘100% New Zealand Welfare Approved Pork’ label is designed to increase sales, not animal welfare, says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

trollyAfter last year’s Mike King expose of cruel factory pig farming, NZ Pork, with its back against the wall, promised to label its products according to production methods and carry out compulsory animal welfare audits of its farms.

“Both promises turn out to be complete rubbish,” says Hans. “The so called ‘animal welfare’ audits are simply a ploy to allow farmers to use the ‘100% Welfare Approved Pork’ label. Farms will be audited against the current pig welfare code – the very code that allows the cruel use of sow crates and fattening pens. This means that all farms that abide by this code will pass the audit and will be allowed to call their products 100% welfare approved! Needless to say that the industry has broken its promise to label according to production method, so consumers will still be kept in the dark as to whether sow stall, farrowing crates or fattening pens were used or not.”

Sadly the SPCA has provided input in the development of this nonsensical audit. SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said the agency opposed the use of stalls and crates.

“By sitting at the table, we may not get the sows out of stalls faster, but at least they will be better looked after while they are there,” Kippenberger said.

However SAFE feel this position is disappointing and will result in consumers being mislead over deceptive labelling.

“I believe the SPCA’s involvement is disappointing and alarming. There is no doubt that NZ Pork will use the good name of the SPCA to promote its label, and this may see many people unwittingly buying factory farmed pork believing that it is SPCA approved,” says Hans.

The true colours of NZ Pork were revealed when SAFE obtained a copy of their submission to the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee under the Official Information Act. In their submission, NZ Pork calls on NAWAC to allow the ongoing use of sow stalls for five weeks, and farrowing crates for six weeks per pregnancy cycle.

“This means that sows would be confined to a crate for at least half their lives – a clear breach of the Animal Welfare Act,” says Hans.

The stubborn insistence of NZ Pork to keep its cruel sow stalls is in strong contrast to developments taking place in the Australian pig industry. Rivalea, Australia’s largest pork producer, is phasing out the use of sow stalls for its 45,000 sows (as many sows as the whole New Zealand industry combined) by 2017.

Rivalea managing director, Paul Pattison, said the expensive move was based on commercial reasoning. “There is no point trying to defend a production system which, in the eyes of the consumer, is indefensible.”

“Rivalea makes a mockery of NZ Pork’s claims that New Zealand pigs enjoy better welfare than their Australian counterparts,” says Hans. “By refusing to move with the times, the New Zealand pig industry will be the maker if its own demise.”

Read more here

Catcha Cray Prevails!

Jun 082010
 

Just when you thought good sense had prevailed, the controversial Catcha Cray arcade style game with live crayfish is back – but modified! SAFE was delighted to announce in February that the arcade-style machine called Catcha Cray, that treated live animals like stuffed toys, had been banned following an intense SAFE campaign.

catcha cray protest

“The machines used a metal claw to subject the crayfish to undue stress, torment and injury, with the catching and handling process sometimes resulting in limbs being torn off or damaged. Most New Zealander’s were disgusted that such a thing was allowed,” says SAFE campaign officer Mandy Carter.

A SAFE demonstration, which attracted huge media exposure and an intervention by the SPCA deeming the machines illegal under the Animal Welfare Act, resulted in bars with Catcha Cray machines being ordered to discontinue using them.

Game modified and sadly back!
However, the game has since been modified by dividing the tank in half with perspex. One side contains live crayfish, while the other side contains plastic ones. Punters will attempt to ‘catch’ from the side with plastic crayfish, and be rewarded with a live crayfish if they succeed.

“We are disappointed to learn that Catcha Cray machines will be appearing in bars again. Although the crayfish will no longer be cruelly tormented with a metal claw, SAFE still has concerns, as the cramped conditions and noisy bars are not appropriate places for animals. A caught crayfish amongst a crowd of drunken revellers is also of serious concern as they are at great risk of abuse. There is also the issue of how the crays are being killed once they have been taken home,” says Mandy.

SAFE would advise any bars approached to house a Catcha Cray machine, to consider carefully whether they wish to be associated with these machines. SAFE also encourages people who see one at a bar to not to use them, and to register a complaint with bar staff.

Goats in NZ Need Your Help

May 312010
 

The majority of goats in New Zealand are farmed for their milk, wool (mohair and cashmere) and meat. In 2007, over 110,000 goats were reared on farms. However, during the early 1990s when the demand for goat fibre was high, the nation’s farmed goat population exceeded one million. Today, goat farming still remains a relatively small and niche market, although industrialised indoor rearing systems are becoming more prevalent as the industry grows.

The gregarious and friendly nature of goats makes them appealing animal companions. Sadly, however, many of these goats end up becoming little more than cheap lawnmowers, tethered alone on roadsides around the country.

In New Zealand, tethered goats lead to more complaints to MAF and the SPCA than any other animal. Roadside goats are often not provided with adequate food or shelter, are stressed from being confined alone, often hit by passing cars, exposed to vehicle noise and pollution and subject to injury or abuse from passersby. One recent goat attack victim was Geordie, an ageing goat from New Plymouth. Geordie was the target of two separate attacks in as many weeks where he was tagged by local youths thinking they were being funny. Other goats have suffered more serious or fatal offences such as being shot, set on fire or dragged behind cars.

tethered goat 2

Despite NAWAC’s acknowledgement that ‘goats should not be tethered,’ the draft code makes no effort to prohibit goats from being left tethered on the roadside,” says SAFE campaign officer Mandy Carter.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

By making a submission before June 11, you can really make a difference.

Please use this opportunity to let NAWAC and the government know that you want to see far better protection for goats.

Click here to view the draft code of welfare for goats. You can  email your submission or post to: NAWAC Secretary, MAF Biosecurity, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140.

Read the full story on SAFE’s website

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