PRODUCTS

Annual Reports

8 July 2026 TO THE ANONYMOUS WHISTLEBLOWER. Thank you for the very valuable information. To be able to make progress, we need to be able to verify it. VAWA regularly deals with whistleblowers, and strictly protects their identity. We promise you the same. Please email info@vawa.co.nz so we can move forward on the information - it's really important for the cattle. ^^VAWA Virtual fencing technology on bull beef On 2nd June 2026, VAWA released a world-first Code of Ethical Con

We're back with another plea for a national food strategy! You may remember that before the 2023 election VAWA partnered with EatNZ and Freedom Farms to ask for a community-led, government-facilitated national food strategy in a campaign called #fixourfoodsystem. We did not get what we wanted so we are back at it again! #nevergiveup This time we're delighted to be part of another powerful collective who believe that no matter who you are or where you're from, everyone in Aot

Find out why VAWA opposes octopus farming.

Pain is ‘ …a clinically important condition that adversely affects an animal's quality of life.’ [1] 'Given animals are sentient, and...

We teamed up with other animal welfare advocates and Dr John Hellström and we #protectedtheban.

Our Ambition VAWA wants to drive change towards systems, ways of living and engaging with animals that ensure Papatūānuku (Mother Earth)...

At this site, you can see submissions and advocacy work that VAWA has undertaken as we seek to create better lives for animals. To achieve this, we use our knowledge and expertise in veterinary and animal welfare science and our five tools - education, advocacy, submissions, consultation and collaboration. We aim to influence decision-makers and help make progress for animals and their welfare. We work for all of Aotearoa's animals from wildlife to farmed animals, from those

VAWA submitted an extensive feedback document to NAWAC/MPI on the Code of Welfare | Deer. We note that the Deer Industry New Zealand...

Animals should only be transported when their welfare can be appropriately managed, including for the pre- and post- transportation...

Visit the National Cat Management Group's page for Cat Guardians Information & Education With the support of our fabulous VAWA members, public facing education dossiers have been created. Have a read at the links below, or visit the National Cat Management Group's website for more. Keeping cats safe and happy at home Know your responsibilities Being a good neighbour Trapping cats A national cat group - how did it start? Gareth Morgan is often, justly, noted as being an

The Western Australian government has just closed consultation on proposed Veterinary Practice Regulations. Most New Zealand...

Policy | Animal Welfare Animals are sentient, have intrinsic value, and their welfare matters. In its 2015 amendment, Aoteaora New Zealand's Animal Welfare Act 1999 acknowledged the sentience of animals: Contemporary animal welfare thinking means enabling our animals to have positive animal welfare outcomes, rather than just minimising their suffering. Positive welfare can be experienced by an animal when it has opportunities to engage in activities it finds rewarding. These

VAWA submitted an extensive feedback document yo NAWAC/MPI on the Code of Welfare | Dairy Cattle. We made the following introductory...

A new regulation enabling veterinary nurses to undertake some dental procedures has received Royal Assent! This is fabulous news after...

Postscript: pigs not in space, but crates, for ever. Following the 2020 judicial review of farrowing crate regulations that found them to be unlawful and invalid, the then Labour Government passed interim regulations to give farmers five years to transition away from crate use. At the end of that specified period, little progress had been made, meaning no further extensions could be given. That left the National government and pig farmers in a pickle: no progress made, no le

2022 has many offerings in the animal welfare world, including review of the pigs (see Pigs, crates and conflicts) and dairy cattle...