Submission on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill

Transcription

1 Submission on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill To the Primary Production Select Committee Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) Charitable Trust is an animal rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming group run by volunteers in the Upper Hutt/Kapiti Coast region. The HUHA Sanctuary at Kaitoke has been operating for over 13 years, providing a sanctuary for abused, neglected, injured and abandoned animals in need. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of farm animals, native birds, monkeys (ex circus and private zoo) and other native NZ animals. HUHA s Otaki shelter is NZ s largest no-kill shelter housing up to 60 dogs, horses, ex factory farm chickens and also runs a foster programme for cats. HUHA works with and supports many other animal welfare/rights organisations within NZ such as SAFE, Chained Dog Awareness, SPCA s, ARAN Rescue, Paw Justice and many others. HUHA also works closely with many of the council pounds around NZ to find homes for abandoned and unwanted pets. Because of HUHA s diverse range of animal welfare assistance and hands on experience we have been exposed to wide ranging neglect, abuse and cruelty to animals in NZ. Having had these experiences and seen first hand the problems with New Zealand s systems we would like to make the following submissions in relation to the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. HUHA would like to record our support of the submission being made by SAFE on all aspects of the changes to the bill that they seek. We will not submit separately on every point but would like to elaborate on the following, of which we have the most experience and knowledge. Firstly we would like to express our support of the following aspects of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill; Instant fines for animal cruelty The addition of regulations that make it possible to prosecute anyone who breaches the present Codes of Welfare HUHA s main concerns with the Animal Welfare Bill is its inability to adequately provide the resources and legislation to cover the internationally recognised standards of the 5 basic needs of animal welfare, being proper and sufficient food and water; adequate shelter; opportunity to display normal patterns of behaviour; physical handling in a manner which minimises the likelihood of unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress; and protection from, and rapid diagnosis of, any significant injury or disease. Page 1 of 8

2 In order to provide these basic standards we propose the following; 1. Chickens Background: HUHA has rehomed thousands of ex factory farmed chickens within the Manawatu and Wellington Districts. These layer hens came from barn and caged laying farms. The majority of these hens were missing most of their feathers, some had prolapsed bottoms and some died within the first few days. They had to learn how to perform their natural chicken behaviours- foraging, perching and bathing (dust baths) and it took up to six weeks for all their feathers to grow back. The hens were in some cases unhealthy with respiratory problems and also underweight. Most of the commercially farmed hens have had a much shorter life expectancy, with many dying after a few years which is not the usual natural lifespan of a chicken kept in a non intensively farmed environment. Changes sought: Caged and barn laying hens are not able to enjoy any of the 5 basic needs of animal welfare. No animal should be subjected to un-natural confinement and forced to live a cruel existence. The Blue Tick scheme endorses (Barn) conditions like these, which does not provide a healthy nor natural environment for the hens to be kept, and misleads the consumer into thinking that they are supporting a scheme that ensures acceptable conditions for the chickens. HUHA supports a ban on all cage and barn laying facilities, which should be done with a more acceptable timeframe than currently proposed for the cage laying facilities. HUHA does not support the move to colony cages as a replacement to the current cage system and calls for a ban on both practices of egg production. Neither the current caged or proposed colony cage systems provide adequate space, foraging or nesting requirements to provide enrichment and a minimum standard of welfare for layer hens. We also support mandatory labelling of egg packaging and the terms of cage free barn laid and free range be defined, and that the Blue Tick scheme be abolished in its current form, and used only when layer hens are farmed free range in a way that they are able to display all natural behaviours, and enjoy all basic welfare requirements. 2. Pigs Background: HUHA was involved with the rehoming of a factory pig Piggy Sue Piggy Sue was a 5 year old ex factory farmed pig, she had spent most of her life breeding in cramped cages with no room to even turn around. Until she was liberated Piggy had never been outside or even seen grass. When Carolyn Press McKenzie Founder of HUHA entered the intensive pig farm in Carterton, Wairarapa, the screaming and stench of 10,000 captive and crowded pigs was more shocking than she could ever have anticipated. Wearing a hidden camera and microphone she had agreed to go undercover for Sunday for two reasons: to save one pig and to help expose an entire industry based on greed and cruelty. When five-year-old Piggy Sue arrived home to her 13 acre sanctuary she could barely walk and was emotionally switched off. The sadness in her eyes had matured from years of torment. Within just two weeks she learnt to instinctively frolic and play, she is an intelligent, curious and vital being. We can only hope that New Zealanders can see through our eyes and fight alongside us to achieve this much needed change in legislation. HUHA currently cares for 15 rescue pigs all free range and able to display normal behaviour without incident. Changes sought: HUHAHUHA calls for the ban of all farrowing crates and the overcrowding of weaners. This practice is stressful for the animal and deprives them of the 5 basic standards of welfare. HUHA would also like to see more farms participating in free range practices the overcrowding that is normal practice in intensive commercial piggeries certainly does not adhere to the 5 freedoms these animals deserve. Page 2 of 8

3 3. Dogs There are many aspects of domestic and working dog welfare that we would like to see addressed. a) Puppy Farming/Breeding Background: Puppy farming and breeding dogs for business is becoming a problem in NZ. Dogs are being farmed for their puppies with little or no respect for the 5 basic needs of welfare. Our concerns lie not only with small back yard breeders, but also purpose built operations within NZ that are breeding and selling high volumes of puppies for profit, often selling through pet stores or through online traders, taking the puppies away from their mothers too young and resulting in physical and emotional sickness and quite often death. We are particularly concerned that the law seems either complacent or unable to protect both parent dogs and puppies under the current Animal Welfare Act. As one example we were saddened and very disturbed in June this year when a puppy farmer had been given the all clear by a SPCA Inspector. The person running the breeding establishment was highlighted by HUHA as supplying a pet shop chain underage, sick puppies that died due to hypoglycaemia and related illnesses because they were too young to be away from their mothers. Others died from giardia and canine parvo virus. The puppy farm is run out of a 200 square meter barn which has 100 dogs registered to it and that does not include any puppies under the age of 12 weeks. According to the Animal Welfare Act 1999, the owner of an animal, and every person in charge of an animal, must ensure that the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the animal are met. To HUHA, to house this amount of dogs and puppies in such a small area certainly isn t meeting the behavioural needs of the animal. Socialisation and the freedom to behave like a dog is paramount. For the last 3 years, HUHA has voiced its concerns to the SPCA over what we saw as huge welfare issues as puppies died at the pet stores. When asked for evidence HUHA was handed a sack of 12 dead puppies of different sizes and breeds by a concerned pet shop worker. HUHA s Puppy Protection Campaign is calling for a ban on all pet shop and online sales of puppies and also to have a legally binding licencing system introduced to protect the welfare of all breeding dogs and their puppies and make breeders accountable for their wellbeing. Changes sought: HUHA would like to see a ban on the sale of all on-line trading and pet store sales of puppies. Although there are guidelines and best practice rules for the minimum age of puppies it is not illegal to sell puppies under the age of 8 or 10 weeks in many instances these puppies are dying, and those that don t often display physical and behavioural problems. Clear laws must be set relating to the minimum age of puppies for sale we believe the minimum ages should be at least 8 weeks for medium to large breeds and 10 weeks for small and toy breeds. Page 3 of 8

4 A clear code of welfare is required to control the breeding and selling of puppies. The only way to stop the puppy farms, back yard breeders and irresponsible breeders is to create a licencing system. Breeders need to be responsible and held accountable for the health and wellbeing of the puppies they sell. This would include being audited, providing a detailed log of all incoming and outgoing animals, births and deaths as well as health and welfare records and a manual on the procedures in place for each animals care, accommodation, enrichment etc. b) Chained Dogs (though applicable to all animals including goats) Background: There are many dogs throughout NZ that live almost their entire life on a chain with inadequate shelter, inadequate food and water, and little human and other dog interaction. This is clearly in breach of the 5 basic needs for an animal. HUHA has just agreed to take in a young dog that was uplifted from its home by Animal Control. This dog suffered terribly at the hands of cruel and ignorant owners. When the council removed it from the property the dog weighed approx. 15kg, it had a chain padlocked to its neck that weighed 10kg, the dog s neck was bloodied and sore. The SPCA were called but unable to bring about charges as the animal had food shelter and water and an individual owner was not easily identified, although there were several inhabitants at the property. This animal is one of thousands in NZ who are unable to display their behavioural needs. They are also often alone, cold and hungry. The act must be adjusted so that charges can be laid to detour this daily display of cruelty that New Zealanders have become blind to. Changes sought: We feel this specifically needs to be addressed in the Animal Welfare Bill and in particular more legal influence and backing needs to be given to the organisations tasked with helping these animals. We also feel that when an owner does not come forward that the people living with and aware of neglect must also be held accountable. c) Racing Greyhounds Background: HUHA has rehomed many ex racing Greyhounds. These dogs have lived their lives for the entertainment and money making wants of their owners and punters. In 2012 HUHA rescued and rehomed 30+ ex racing greyhounds. These are sensitive and vulnerable animals that are often keep with bare minimum housing standards. When their careers are over and they are of no monetary worth they are often disposed of, when in fact they are still capable of living long and happy lives in the right environment. Changes sought: HUHA does not condone the greyhound racing industry in any way. Unless a ban on racing is established we feel the minimum that should be addressed is a call for an independent body to oversee the industry to ensure the welfare of the animals. d) Council Pound Dogs Background: HUHA works with many council pounds around the country, taking in dogs destined for death row. Where we cannot physically take into our HUHA shelter, we work within our community network and social media to help work towards a good outcome. Our personal experiences with council pounds have been at both ends of the scale. Some pounds and rangers work very pro-actively to rehome the dogs as an alternative to euthanasia. Other pounds do very little and use euthanasia as an only option. Page 4 of 8

5 Most of the dogs that the pounds transfer to HUHA have been let down by ignorant owners. Often kept in inappropriate situations such as poor fencing, being chained or not being allowed inside a home to live as part of a family and not being desexed. These living conditions can lead to inappropriate behaviours caused by stress and boredom. HUHA has a 100% success rate in rehoming these dogs. They are all desexed and placed in carefully screened homes that provide the correct environment for each dog and its personality type thus setting up both the dog and the new owner to succeed. HUHA s motto is Change the environment and you will change the dog If an animal doesn t settle in its new environment for whatever reason we always take them back and learn from the experience, so a better match can be found. We feel that education is key as well as introducing desexing laws. Changes sought: HUHA would like to see a review of council pounds and their operations regarding the rehoming of seized and abandoned dogs. HUHA has operated as a no kill shelter with the help of the community and this works very well. We would encourage a move by other rescue organisations and pounds to work towards the same goal. We would like to see stricter regulations around appropriate fencing and housing of dogs (ie not chaining dogs) and an introduction of regulations on desexing dogs to be introduced as these are the key problems causing inappropriate behaviour in dogs in the community. 4. Animal Testing Background: HUHA does not condone animal testing and in particular the use of all and any animals for the testing of recreational drugs. HUHA has made submissions, lobbied the Government and worked closely with NZAVS and SAFE to call for a complete ban of animal testing for recreational drugs through the Psychoactive Substance Bill. HUHA arranged the march to Parliament along with thousands of other New Zealanders throughout the country to show our dismay at the Government s refusal to listen to the people of NZ on this matter. We would support nothing less in the Animal Welfare Bill than a clause stating a complete ban on all animal testing for psychoactive drugs. HUHA was involved in the rescue and rehoming of beagles from the Valley Animal Research Centre. These dogs, along with some puppies of the breeding dogs used for research were being sold on Trademe by one of the former directors of VARC. These dogs and puppies had emotional, physical and health problems and were sold to unsuspecting members of the public. Some of the puppies died due to health complications, some of the dogs had such severe psychological damage it has taken years for them to rehabilitate back into an ordinary life for a dog. Some of the dogs have adapted very quickly, maybe those that were not in the facility for very long. This facility was overseen by the Ethics Committee and the company stated on its website that no animals were caused any harm or death by the testing. This was clearly not the case On the 30th of November 2011, New Zealanders reeled as they settled in to watch the first in a series of exclusive reports on the TV3 Campbell Live Show. But no one expected what came next. Backed into a corner, wide-eyed and visibly shaking, the word institutionalised is a fair description of a beagle freshly released from the Valley Animal Research Centre (VARC). Year upon year, living on concrete in the breeding facility if they were lucky, or upon slatted steel cage floors in the VARC research building if they were not. Hundreds of purpose bred beagles suffered a life of bare minimum at the hands of researchers. Page 5 of 8

6 You don t have to physically abuse a domestic animal to cause it long term emotional damage. Just deny them anything more than their basic needs; freedom to display natural behaviours, enrichment and allowing no access to the outside world. You could be left with a confused animal without social or coping skills. We knew that anti-vivisection activists had been protesting for years outside the two Valley Animal Research Centres. We had even heard a whisper that due to the marriage breakup of the VARC directors, both facilities (Hastings and Himatangi) had closed down. But we had no idea that when the doors shut over a year ago, no one had negotiated freedom for the remaining beagles in the dilapidating facilities. We were horrified to think that when the vivisection stopped and the doors were shut, the animals were ultimately left and forgotten. Advertised on Trade Me and sold as pets to unsuspecting and uninformed families, while receiving only minimal care from one of VARC s Directors, was a recipe for disaster for these dogs. Not to mention extremely unfair on the families who thought they were adopting an uncomplicated, fun, sociable family pet. When we received a call that the beagles were being inappropriately kept and sold on to underprepared families, we hopped on the HUHA truck and headed for Hastings. The Campbell Live team had invited HUHA to be waiting in the wings as they approached one of the VARC Directors. There were concerns that approaching the she could ignite a clean up at the closed facility. So HUHA stood by ready to negotiate a safe outcome for the dogs still in the facility. We were so surprised by the Director s erratic and strange behaviour. We negotiated for hours, and in fact after she staunchly refused to release the dogs on that first meeting, we continued to communicate and drove to Hastings twice more before finally we were allowed to come away with the initial seven dogs. Meanwhile Campbell Live s story of unsocialised research dogs being sold to unsuspecting families took an unexpected turn for the worse. Natasha Utting from Campbell Live was visibly distressed as she showed NZ viewers a pit of individually wrapped puppy carcasses found at the far end of the VARC Himatangi site. As she gagged to breathe, and tears welled in her eyes, New Zealanders were transfixed to their televisions in disbelief. The next day a letter sent to Campbell Live from VARC s lawyers stated that the decaying bodies were those of possums, but an independent veterinary report was to prove the VARC lawyers wrong. To make matters even more distressing, official files and reports taken from the Valley Animal Research Centre confirmed what many had being wondering. VARC Directors had clearly stated on a 60Minutes program in 2007 that the animals they tested upon were kept happy, healthy and free of pain. The official VARC website even states that None of these projects has involved the harm or death to any dog. However, the uncovered official documents revealed that in a 2010 trial that lasted 336 days, 33 beagles had undergone surgery at VARC to have the cruciate ligament in their knee ruptured. The documents stated that during the trial only some of the dogs received varying amounts of pain relief and by the end of the trial all 33 dogs had been euthanized and their knee joints dissected and studied. Following on from these events HUHA liberated 30 beagles and they are all wonderfully safe and thriving in their carefully chosen new family homes. These dogs are sensitive, gentle souls that when given love, gentle guidance and lots of patience are capable of adapting to life as wonderful and often surprisingly animated family members. But the key to this remarkable transition we have found, is empowering the new owners with the knowledge of where their new family member has come from and what they have been through. Page 6 of 8

7 Changes sought: Inclusion of Supplementary Order Paper 341 in the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. We ask that the select committee include the amendment in that SOP in the Bill when they report back to parliament. We believe inclusion of SOP 341 will ensure that no animal testing will be used for the purpose of testing of Psychoactive Substances. An independent review of the use of animals for testing. An independent review and investigation into the ethics committee and how it operates. Public disclosure on all proposed animal testing Other changes we would like to see in the Animal Welfare Bill; 1. An independent Commissioner for animals. We do not believe that the Ministry for Primary Industries is the most appropriate body to oversee the welfare for animals in NZ, and in fact poses a conflict of interest given NZ s primary industries are animal farming businesses. 2. More opportunities for animal welfare groups to be consulted and have a voice concerning animal welfare issues. 3. An increase in resources and funding to enable inspection and follow up of reported breaches of animal welfare standards. This also needs to be backed up with enforcement and proper sentencing for cases of animal cruelty brought before the courts. Our current prosecution rate and minimal sentencing makes a mockery of animal welfare breaches and cases of cruelty and does little to act as a deterrent to those committing these crimes. We would urge express guidelines and principles be set for judges on animal welfare cases. We have not elaborated on all our concerns for animal welfare in NZ, only those that we have had direct involvement with, but would like to summarise below the areas we strongly feel need addressing within the Animal Welfare Bill to put in place regulations to cover the following: Stronger enforcement of the 5 basic needs of animal welfare More resources for the enforcement of breaches of animal welfare and cruelty A clause to exclude all animal testing for recreational and psychoactive drugs A review of the National Animal Ethics Committee in relation to transparency and accountability Stop factory farming of animals Stop the sale of puppies through pet stores and online traders Licencing of breeders of domestic animals Stop the use of animals for entertainment ie. Rodeo, racing, circus Prohibit the importation of farmed furs Ban shark finning Ban live exports of animals Ban Horse Jumps racing Ban the tethering of all farm animals including Goats, sheep and horses. Regulate and enforce more humane housing and care of pocket pets (including rabbit and Guinea Pigs) and marine animals (including fish and turtles) Regulate desexing to eliminate the over breeding of exotics for the sake of young stock on exhibit in zoo s Ban the docking of dogs tails other than for the treatment of injury or disease Ensure that agricultural animals have proper shade, shelter and appropriate resting areas. Page 7 of 8

8 We oppose the inclusion of 'practicality and economic impact as considerations for decision making around acceptable standards for animal welfare in the new clause 73(3) of the bill. We believe that there is no room for government sanctioned cruelty to animals on economic grounds. Thank you for considering our submission and welcome the opportunity to be part of the process of improving the welfare of all animals in NZ. We see this review of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill as a very important chance for New Zealand to become a leader in animal welfare and show the world we care about our animals and take animal welfare very seriously. We are available for consultation on any or all of the above if required. Carolyn Press-McKenzie On behalf of HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) Charitable Trust Kaitoke & Otaki Page 8 of 8