SPCA calls for urgent action on outdated animal welfare codes
SPCA is urging the Government to resume critical work on updating the codes of welfare for companion animals, following the release of the draft Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle for public consultation last week.
SPCA welcomes this long-overdue step forward in updating animal welfare codes, noting that there have been no new codes of welfare issued since 2018.
SPCA believes the entire process for developing and reviewing codes of welfare needs urgent reform to ensure they remain current and effective. The organisation is encouraging the public to support this call for change by making their voices heard.
“While we’re pleased to see progress on the sheep and beef code, the welfare needs of millions of companion animals in New Zealand are being left behind,” says SPCA Scientific Officer Marie McAninch.
New Zealand is home to over 4.35 million companion animals, yet many of the standards meant to protect them are either missing or long overdue for review. There is no Code of Welfare for Rabbits, and the Code of Welfare for Companion Cats has not been substantively updated in 18 years, nor has the Code of Welfare for Dogs in 15 years.
It’s not just companion codes that are lagging behind. There is also no code of welfare to protect animals in aquaculture, despite a government plan to triple its revenue to $3 billion annually by 2035.
“Although the dog and cat codes were reissued in 2018, they did not undergo public consultation or receive meaningful content updates,” Ms McAninch says.
To address this, SPCA has taken proactive steps by drafting a new Code of Welfare for Rabbits and leading the drafting of updated codes for cats and dogs.
These drafts were accepted into the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) work programme and supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
However, in June 2024, NAWAC was directed to pause all work on companion animal codes, leaving these vital protections in limbo.
SPCA is now calling on the Minister responsible for animal welfare to reverse this directive and allow the development of companion animal codes to resume.
“The welfare challenges facing dogs, cats, and rabbits — including uncontrolled breeding, inappropriate confinement, roaming, and hoarding — are growing. We need up-to-date standards and guidelines to protect these animals,” Ms McAninch added.
SPCA will be making a substantive submission on the draft Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle, providing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen protections for farmed animals and ensure the code reflects both scientific best practice and community expectations.
“The current companion animal codes do not reflect modern science, best practice, or the expectations of our communities.”
Codes of welfare are intended to be flexible and evolve with advancements in science and changing community expectations.
Public action can help drive reform and ensure that all animals in Aotearoa are afforded the protections they deserve.
SPCA is calling on the public to support these calls for change and take action.