As a dedicated dog rescue organization, we are on the frontlines of a heartbreaking crisis affecting dogs throughout New Zealand. It's worse than ever!

There’s an increasing problem of dogs being abused, abandoned, injured, and producing countless litters due to negligent owners, with many newborns exposed to parvovirus, causing severe suffering and death. Harmless dogs were killed in unregulated abusive day care facilities or are killed by the public, while authorities struggle with the flood of welfare complaints. Meanwhile, well-cared-for dogs are seized and euthanized over unpaid registration fees, sometimes even before payment is due. Friendly dogs and puppies are put down in pounds despite rescue offers, with assessments often inconsistent, incomplete, or done by unqualified staff. Innocent dogs face harm from retaliatory, baseless complaints, tenancy rights are ignored by landlords, and the rules for responsible owners leave many dogs without a safe, loving home.

Companion animal welfare in New Zealand on World Animal Protection Index is lagging behind most countries including India and East European countries, with very outdated definitions, inconsistent bylaws across councils, and lax enforcement of existing laws and powers. The welfare of dogs often ranks low on the list of priorities or is not considered at all by decision-makers.

Proposed changes address:

• definition of animal cruelty and penalties for animal cruelty,
• desexing and vaccination,
• complaints and public destruction of a dog, 
• reinforcing tenants’ rights to keep pets, 
• welfare standards for impounded dogs and euthanasia,
• evaluating and classifying dogs in pounds,
• registration fee payments,
• seizing and destroying animals,
• mandated powers to act on welfare concerns,
• review of the two-dog-per-property limit for responsible owners.
• age of rehoming/sale of puppies

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PROPOSALS:

We call on New Zealand lawmakers to update companion animal welfare laws to include:

PUBLIC:

1. The updated definition of animal cruelty to include preventable distress, along with harassment or provocation of animals.
2. The updated definition of animal cruelty to include separating puppies from their mother before 8 weeks of age, except for reasons related to the dog's safety. This definition covers but it is not limited to rehoming, selling, and abandonment.
3. Upgraded mandatory requirements for "shelter" (as opposed to "recommendations") to include kennels specifications, dimensions, materials and insulation, as well as specific minimum daily exercise time. This definition will include but not be limited to working dogs and hunting dogs.
4. Mandatory penalties should apply to acts of animal cruelty, and any ownership bans imposed must be actively monitored. Each abuse offense should be charged and sentenced separately, rather than being combined under a single charge.
5. Breeders should face stricter licensing and regular inspections to help eliminate puppy mills, along with clear breeding requirements—such as a lifetime maximum of four litters, mandatory health testing, and specific age limits. Dogs with health problems, traits, defects, or serious abnormalities likely to cause suffering to themselves or their offspring should not be bred. Breeding females should be over 18 months old (at least in their second season) and under 8 years, with at least 18 months between litters. No female should be bred after three C-sections.
6. Licensing requirements and routine inspections for dog trainers, boarding facilities, and their staff.
7. All staff and volunteers at dog rescue organizations who work with dogs should have at least a K9 First Aid certification, plus an additional certification in dog behavior. Welfare provisions for owners should apply to all rescue organizations. Rescue dogs should be evaluated at intake by min. two witnesses (e.g., B.A.R.C), and puppies should have a temperament test at 7 weeks (e.g., Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test). Information on temperament and dog care must be provided in written to all potential adopters.
8. Mandatory and free neutering for adult pet dogs except licensed breeders, unless there are documented health or temperament issues that make it unsuitable, and 
9. A mandatory and free parvovirus vaccination given to all puppies at 10 weeks, following the Nobivac manufacturer’s recommendation for optimal protection.
10. Strict penalties apply for the destruction of dogs by the public, except in cases involving compassionate health reasons or recorded ongoing attacks.
11. Harsh penalties to apply to landlords who disregard Tenancy Services rules about tenants’ rights to keep pets or who engage in discrimination against dog owners. Tenants are responsible for containing their dogs and should be allowed to install temporary fences if the property is not already fenced.

AUTHORITIES:

1. Animal Control, SPCA, Police, and registered animal charities should be required to take immediate action without delay when a dog’s welfare is at risk. The Police should enforce this mandate independently, rather than only acting in a supporting role to the SPCA as is currently the case.
2. Consistent regulations and bylaws across councils should prioritize the best interests and welfare of dogs. Council practices throughout New Zealand should consistently aim to preserve life and maintain a family environment in all cases where the dog’s welfare is met and the dog does not pose a documented imminent risk to people or animals.
3. Clear guidelines with metrics consistent across NZ should define the difference between excessive noise and reasonable barking, considering factors like time, decibel level, distance, and duration, along with a requirement for proof. There should be penalties for excessive, false, or retaliatory complaints, as this practice is often abused and can seriously harm a dog's welfare and living conditions.
4. Breed classifications should rely on strict DNA testing, requiring over 50% of a specific breed for breed-based cases, rather than unqualified staff making guesses.
5. Visual evidence, such as video recordings, is mandatory for dog attack reports. A live attack recording is required, along with a certified behaviorist’s evaluation for classification as menacing by deed.
6.  Euthanasia of healthy, non-reactive dogs or puppies should be strictly limited. All non-reactive impounded dogs should be handed over to any registered charities with available space, regardless of location or pound staff preferences, rather than being euthanized.
7. Temperament testing in pounds should be carefully regulated, documented, and audited by certified professionals like veterinary behaviorists, not by untrained individuals. Pounds should work with vet behaviorists or certified staff, such as professional trainers and behaviorists, to properly understand and address the needs and welfare of the dogs.
8. Late annual registrations to result in warnings and fines instead of confiscation and destruction.
9.  Owners of dogs impounded by court order and kept in pounds for over two weeks to be allowed weekly visits. Owners of dogs facing a destruction court order should be allowed, on compassionate grounds, to take time to say goodbye to their pet before the order is carried out, and choose to have the body returned or cremated in a manner that is both respectful and compassionate. Loved family members being discarded in a rubbish bag for the owner to collect is both disrespectful and inhumane. 
10.  Dog owners to be able to pay impounding fees in full or through installments, with no exceptions. A convenient option to make prompt payments online from anywhere in New Zealand or overseas should be implemented, rather than being forced to wait at the gate to pay in person.
11.  Revision of two dogs per property limitation, in particular for responsible pet owners. The dog's welfare should be a priority in assessing the owner.

Our dogs deserve better. They need a system that protects them from harm. By signing this petition, you are advocating for stronger laws that safeguard our canine companions and pave the way for a compassionate New Zealand. Show your support and help us bring about this crucial change. Sign now to make a difference in the lives of dogs across the nation.