The North Canterbury Hunting Competition is an annual event that offers prizes to hunters who slaughter wild pigs, deer, rabbits, ferrets, goats, ducks and geese - and now, homeless cats. In 2023, the hunt introduced cats for the first time, offering cash prizes to the most prolific cat-killer; and this year, cats were back on the target list for the hunt. The weigh-in for the competition produced a truly revolting sight. Blood-covered hunters piled cat carcasses in crude cages, or hung them from poles with meathooks forced through their jaws.

The horrors didn’t end there. Thousands of dead animals were on display – so many, in fact, that they used earthmovers to shift some of the corpses. Children as young as 14 were encouraged to join the hunt, and one man killed 65 cats alone.

The General Secretary of the Animal Justice Party, Danette Wereta, protested the event last year, and told us of hunters taunting protestors with dead kittens and decapitating animals in an attempt to shock and intimidate them.

This horrific evil needs to end for once and all! Killing contests teach that animals are nothing but targets, things to be slaughtered for fun and points. Adding cats to the list of animals to be slain is no solution to the problem of homeless feral and stray cats. The most effective and humane solution is TNR, Trap-Neuter-Release, plus feeding homeless cats regularly so the roam and hunt less.

New Zealand, you can do better - much better.