Animal Law News

What now for New Zealand's Codes of Welfare?

An association of New Zealand lawyers (The New Zealand Animal Law Association (NZALA)) has been successful in privately prosecuting  New Zealand’s first rodeo case,, and in challenging a Code of Welfare in respect of the use of farrowing crates for pigs.

Rodeo and the use of electric prodders

A District Court found a farmer guilty of using an electric prodder on two distressed cattle during  two separate rodeo events, one in 2016 and the other in 2017. The two events involved steers who were used for a team roping rodeo competition.

It was...more >>

Are you critiquing those media stories? For example, "live exports" ...

In early September 2020, a ship taking nearly 6,000 cows out of New Zealand, capsized off the coast of Japan. It’s been reported that the ship capsized because the ship's engine failed, then it was hit by a freak wave.

Now look at the headlines, commentary and stakeholders that have waded in to the discussion associated with that event.

  • “Cattle ship capsize: Role of live export trade under intense scrutiny”
  • “Political parties weigh in on live exports after the sinking of Gulf Livestock 1”...more >>

Dogs trained to detect COVID-19
After just a few days of training, dogs in Germany proved capable of identifying people infected with COVID-19, according to researchers. The dogs, part of a study by a veterinary university in Germany, were able to sniff out the coronavirus with "stunning accuracy". They sniffed the saliva of more than 1,000 people, both healthy and infected, identifying the coronavirus with a 94% success rate. 
 
University Professor Dr. Holger Volk said that dogs have a sense of smell that is 1,000 times better than humans, so...more >>

Dogs must be walked twice a day under new law

When it comes to looking after dogs, do you think providing a dog with regular exercise is a sign of a "responsible" dog owner?

If the answer to that question is "yes", then how much exercise per day do you think is necessary? And what counts as "exercise"?

The opportunity for exercise, explore and play are among those factors recognised as providing "positive states" for animals according to the scientific knowledge of the Five Domains. ["negative" states are conditions such...more >>

Do YOU think invertebrates are sentient?
According to Donald Broom ( Emeritus Professor of Animal Welfare at Cambridge University) "sentience is not confined to animals with large or human-like brains. Moral standing should be accorded to all animals, not just vertebrates: invertebrates deserve moral consideration too. Carefully defining the relevant terms can help clarify the relationship between sentience and welfare. All animals have welfare but humans accord more protection to sentient animals. Humans should be less human-centred".
 
 ...more >>

Do you know what "the green deal" is?
Do you know what "the green deal" is? The green deal, is a strategy programme by the European Commission, which intends to “green” the EU activities and re-orient policies and laws for the years to come, in areas such as climate and energy, agriculture and fisheries, products and services, and trade and foreign policy.
 
It sounds ambitious, doesn't it. It is referred to by some as the most important announcement to ensure EU climate neutrality by 2050. This contribution tries to place...more >>

Covid19, Brexit and much more in 2020: A Bad Year for Animal Welfare?
While the jury is still out as to the exact origins of Covid 19, the even the potential of animal involvement as a cause, or vector, must raise questions regarding the human-animal relationship, and the governance of that relationship.. There are those who are of the view that the pandemic should not have come as a surprise when it emerged, as zoonotic diseases were  one of the threats scientists had been warning governments and the public about for years. Since the pandemic began, it has reportedly been transmitted from animals through markets in China and then carried across the...more >>

How much could you lose? How much could you gain? Pigs in NZ's High Court

It's not unusual for a private organisation or a charity to conduct a court case challenging governance performance, standards or positions. PETA, Greenpeace and the Animal Legal Defence Fund ("ALDF") are just a few of the many organisations who have taken their challenge to the courtroom.

In July 2020 the New Zealand Animal Law Society went to the High Court to review whether the use of cages in pig farming is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Media reports on the internet and on television demonstrate the polarised views...more >>

Here's a quick journey in to animal law
Mr. Mike Radford gives a talk on Animal Welfare Law at the 2017 Veterinary Ethics and Welfare Conference at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. 
 
Mike is a recognised legal expert on the subject of animal law. You can read more about him, and the expertise and experience that makes him an...more >>

What do animals "think" and "feel"?

Do animals "think" and "feel"? Yes? No?

 
Have a look at the TED talk in the link shown below (https://youtu.be/-wkdH_wluhw) and see if it affects your answer. When you've listened to it perhaps you could ask yourself this question: "Is the model of animal protection law that's been in place for 200 years, which essentially protects animals from unnecessary suffering, fit for today's global-size risks, issues and purposes...more >>

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