Current Issues:
Over the past three years various members of the New Zealand
Companion Animal Council have been working on creating a draft code of
welfare for cats. This code establishes minimum standards with regard
for the way in which people care for, and conduct themselves towards
animals in their care.
Codes of welfare can contain details, including explanatory
information that is not appropriate in an Act of Parliament. Codes have
an important role in improving animal welfare standards.
The benefits of codes include:
 | the provision of greater detail than that contained in the Act
including base lines for animal management and care; |
| flexibility to modify and improve animal welfare standards in
line with changing community expectations, scientific knowledge and
technological change; |
| balanced representation of community expectations and views
through community involvement in the development of codes; and |
| educational value through an ability to use them to improve
community awareness of animal needs. |
In February this year the draft of the Code of Welfare for Cats was
presented to NAWAC (The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee). In
April this year NAWAC called for submissions regarding this draft code
of welfare.
There are links on this page, If you are interested in making a
submission along with guidelines.
NAWAC will then carefully consider all submissions received, as well
as other matters relating to the Animal Welfare Act, before finalising
details of the code. Following this process it will make recommendations
to the Minister regarding issuing as a Code of Welfare.
The following links will take you to the website:
Notice of Welfare code being open for submissions along with
guidelines:
The draft Welfare Code (Cats):
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The Council of the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association has
been asked to give their support to the New Zealand Veterinary
Association in respect of the Tail Wagging Bill. We are strongly
supportive of this issue.
As you are aware, the issue of tail docking has, for some time, been
a contentious one. For any veterinary nurse who has been involved in
this procedure, it can be said that it inflicts unnecessary pain on
pups.
NZVA has now given their strong support to the Animal Welfare
(Restriction on Docking of Dogs Tails) Bill and Virginia Williams, the
animal welfare spokesman, has said that “NZVA opposes surgical
alteration to the natural state of animals except in the interests of
the animals themselves”.
NZVA are showing their support of the Bill by issuing material to
veterinary practices in New Zealand to enable clients to record their
support of the Tail Wagging Bill. As veterinary nurses we are in a
position to pass on qualified information to our clients in support of
the NZVA position, and we would recommend that you voice your support of
the Bill. If you need any further information, NZVA have now put this on
their website. Please feel free to read through all the information to
enable you to be fully conversant. (This can be found at
http://www.vets.org.nz/News/Issues/TailDock/taildocking.htm)
Details on how to make individual submissions on the Bill can be
found at
http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Programme/Committees/Submissions/gadocking.htm
for veterinary nurses who wish to make own submissions to the Select
Committee.
We thank you for your support.
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Animal
Welfare (Restriction on Docking Dogs’ Tails) Bill