95bFM Should Aotearoa adopt an animal welfare police unit?
7 March 2025
Interview by Joel Armstrong, adapted by Leilani Cardosa
The University of Auckland’s Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere says Aotearoa’s current animal welfare model is structurally unsustainable and calls for an animal welfare police unit to combat animal cruelty rather than relying on the current system.
Concerns have been raised regarding Aotearoa’s animal welfare model.
The country’s current system relies on the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to enforce the Animal Welfare Act.
The SPCA works to enforce laws relating to companion animals, however, due to limited public funding, this has resulted in enforcement gaps.
The MPI, which oversees agricultural animal welfare, is facing similar challenges, with only 25–30 inspectors responsible for livestock animals nationwide.
In his doctoral research comparing Aotearoa and Calgary, Canada’s animal welfare systems, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland, Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere, refers to New Zealand’s system as ineffective, underfunded, and at risk of collapsing, without major reform.
Ferrere told 95bFM’s The Wire that Aotearoa’s animal welfare model is outdated and has created systemic issues.
“This is a system [New Zealand has] inherited from the United Kingdom [from] the mid-19th century, meaning when it comes to animal cruelty or welfare, we rely on a model we’ve had for a long, long time.”
“Although there have been adjustments, the basic model remains unchanged. As a result, enforcement is inconsistent, and many cases of animal cruelty go uninvestigated due to resource constraints.”
While New Zealand and Alberta, Canada’s animal welfare systems are closely comparable, Ferrere says a key difference is that Edmonton police have a specialist division to help enforce their animal cruelty legislation — an approach he says could benefit New Zealand.
“In New Zealand, police have jurisdiction over animal cruelty offences but often defer cases to the SPCA, which may not have the resources to act.”
“Edmonton’s model demonstrates that law enforcement agencies can effectively handle serious cases of animal mistreatment, ensuring accountability and deterrence.”
A possible solution involves integrating the expertise of the SPCA with the investigative capacity of the police, ensuring a more robust enforcement system.
Overall, Ferrere says the under-enforcement of animal welfare legislation risks undermining trust in regulatory frameworks, weakening public confidence in the justice system.
“Without reforms, the Animal Welfare Act risks becoming a symbolic piece of legislation rather than an effective tool for protecting animals.”
