A huge thank you to you for helping SAFE ensure animals will not now suffer in cruel tests.

This is a joint effort by all caring Kiwis who should be proud that we are now officially the latest country to go cruelty-free. Special thanks also goes to Green Party MP Mojo Mathers, who worked tirelessly for a ban.

Were delighted the government has accepted that cosmetics testing on animals is abhorrent and should not be allowed. Thanks so much to everyone who sent an email, attended a protest or made a submission, says SAFE Head of Campaigns, Mandy Carter.

The cosmetics campaign has been a long, hard-fought campaign for SAFE, starting in 2011 when we launched our SAFEshopper cruelty-free list. The campaign was developed because we saw there was a global trend towards cosmetics animal testing bans.

We encouraged people to lobby the government by sending emails to Prime Minister John Key calling for a New Zealand ban, which soon attracted thousands of responses.

In 2012 the Animal Welfare Act came under review, presenting us with an opportunity to call for specific amendments to help animals, including a ban on cosmetics testing. We created a website, animalwelfare.org.nz, that made it easy for the public to support SAFEs submission and make their own. Nearly 80% of submissions received by the government came via our site.

SAFE led this high-profile campaign. We organised meetings with politicians, recruited a top New Zealand lawyer to help write alternative legislation and teamed up with other organisations like Humane Society International (HSI). SAFE also presented a

15,500-strong petition, ran a nationwide billboard and print advertising campaign calling on PM John Key to Hop to it, co-ordinated support from 28 cosmetics companies, submitted a detailed legislative proposal to the gwwovernment and held actions and promotions throughout.

The ban is the latest in a growing global cruelty-free trend, with similar test bans already in place in Norway, Israel, India, the 28 member states of the European Union and the Brazilian state of So Paulo. Legislative measures are also under discussion in Australia, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.

Cosmetics animal testing can include force-feeding animals with chemicals or restraining them so that chemicals can be dripped in their eyes. Testing methods used can result in severe pain and distress.

We do urge some caution, however. This is only a ban on testing within New Zealand. That means imported cosmetics are still potentially tested on animals abroad. With a ban on cosmetics testing in place, SAFE will now focus attention on achieving a ban on the import and sale of animal-tested cosmetics. The European Union already has such a ban in place and it is logical for New Zealand to follow suit, says Mandy.

WATCH OUT!

New Zealand bans cosmetics testing crueltySAFE is delighted that the government has taken a crucial step in improving the countrys

animal welfare laws by announcing a ban on cosmetics testing on animals as part of the new Animal Welfare Act. The ban is a milestone victory for SAFE and supporters who have

campaigned determinedly for over three years.

CAMPAIGN REPORT WiNTEr 2015 ShoWcASiNg SAFES Work iN NEW ZEAlANd iNSidE Pig campaign update | Live Export | New Go Veg website

in the meantime shoppers can make sure they are cruelty-free by downloading SAFEs free phone app SAFEshopper or searching online at safe.org.nz

Late last year it was revealed that the pig farms that shocked the nation when exposed on the Sunday programme (June 14) would not be prosecuted. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said there was insufficient evidence to support a prosecution.

Footage of the Canterbury farm revealed a sow that was kept in a farrowing crate so tight her newborn piglets were squashed to death. Other pigs were kept in overcrowded fattening pens with dozens of rats running over them.

Another farm in Kumeu was also investigated after workers were filmed physically abusing the animals, including bashing a sow to death with a hammer over a prolonged period of time.

While it may seem ridiculous that such blatant cruelty is not enough evidence, the reality is that the laws protecting animals are extremely weak.

Following the announcement by MPI, Campbell Live revealed new footage from Farmwatch and SAFE, which showed more cruelty to pigs.

This expos ran over a number of days and again turned the nation against factory pig farming. This time the cruelty was portrayed as legal and standard in the industry, making it very difficult for the industry to respond with their usual excuses.

Where to now? We have proved beyond a doubt that the pig industry has not changed despite the overwhelming surge of feeling against their cruelty.

We will continue to campaign, but pigs need help NoW. if you are with us in believing animals deserve respect, please help us create a New Zealand without factory farming.

Pork industry UNdEr FIrE AGAINMPi confirms: Pig cruelty is 100% legal.

Please boycott ALL pork products. This sends an uncompromising message to the industry that you will NoT tolerate their cruelty.

looking back on another busy year i cannot help but be happy about our achievements for animals.

Over the years, SAFE has become a highly respected and effective advocacy organisation for animals and we are finally starting to see results.

The sow stall and calf bashing bans, the psychoactive substance and cosmetics testing bans and the massive awareness about factory farming are all tangible results of SAFEs hard work.

I am proud of our team. We are punching above our weight against an opposition that is much better resourced and funded. despite our uphill battle, SAFE has continued to grow and change with the times.

Our new website is very popular and through social media we now reach a large segment of the population. Our opinions are sought after by the media and our support base is ever-increasing.

All these developments are positive but working in animal rights means that you are always acutely aware of all the work that lies ahead.

Animal exploitation is so ingrained in our society that you cannot help but wonder if we will ever get to the point at which animals are respected and no longer abused.

At SAFE, we are under no illusion that we have a massive battle in front of us but we are up for it. I invite you to join us on the battlefront and be part of creating a better world for all animals.

On behalf of all of us at SAFE, thank you.

follow us:

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest: SAFEnewzealand YouTube: SAFEAnimalAdvocacy

Website: SAFE.org.nz

Making a real difference

hans kriek Executive director

Animal Welfare Act UPdATE

Success! The Animal Welfare Act was updated, and thanks to your support, it included some real changes for animals.

Cosmetics testing on animals within New Zealand will be banned. The loopholes that allow the ongoing use of some of the most horrific factory farming practices have been removed. And best of all, most political parties are now talking about factory farming.

But it is not enough. Layer hens can still be kept in cages, mother pigs are still unable to turn around for weeks on end, and cows are increasingly denied the opportunity to graze.

The groundwork has been done, but the big changes are still to come. Soon, the government is going to be making regulations. These will build upon the Animal Welfare Act and contain laws that can be directly enforced. Without our input, these laws are likely to be weak, and do little for the animals.

This is why SAFE is going to continue to need your support. With your help, we will build upon past accomplishments and make the big changes the animals so desperately need.

World day for Lab Animals

On World day for Laboratory Animals, volunteers around the country dressed in rabbit costumes to promote our SAFEshopper phone app to members of the public.

With a rabbit in a cage, a vivisector and others handing out the SAFEshopper cards, we called on people to boycott cruelty when they buy cosmetics.

The ban on cosmetics testing on animals was a huge victory, but without an import ban as well, cruelly tested products can still be sold in New Zealand.

Make sure you are shopping compassionately with our free SAFEshopper phone app available for iPhone and Android.

Rosie, Issie, Fiona, Nadia, Rosamund at SAFEs World Day for Laboratory Animals Action in Cashel Mall,

Christchurch

GO VEG For All the Animals

Our new-look Go Veg campaign is now up and running. Packed with all the help you need for switching to an animal-free diet, including information on animals, the environment and our health, as well as recipes and suggestions for eating out.

But dont just take our word for it! See what you think at safe.org.nz/go-vEg

On the move!With the help of some fantastic volunteers, SAFE Wellington recently relocated to new offices in Kelburn. Special thanks to all our volunteers including Eric, Joe and Brendan for their help.

if you want to be informed about SAFE activities in Wellington, contact hannah@safe.org.nz

COUNCIL SAyS NO to cruel mega factory farm... but company appeals

310,000 hens have been saved from a life of misery following the rejection of a proposal to build a huge caged-hen factory farm south of Auckland.

Auckland Council decided to refuse Craddocks Farm permission to build the colony cage egg facility, which would have been the largest colony cage farm in the country, producing 10% of New Zealands egg supply.

It is clear that communities do not want these horror factory farms, says Hans Kriek. It goes against everything New Zealand stands for.

Craddocks Appealcraddocks Farms is appealing the councils decision. Sign up to our newsletter to be kept informed about what you can do, at safe.org.nz

duck shooters got quite a shock during April when they found out that SAFE was planning to give ducks camouflage jackets to make them harder to shoot. It was an April Fools joke, of course, but some shooters fell for it. To be fair, many noticed the date pretty early on but by the afternoon several of them had taken the decoy.

Social media was abuzz with discussion, bringing attention to the issue: duck ShooTiNg iS cruEl.

Call to ban all lead shotTen years ago, SAFEs campaign against the use of lead shot led to a partial ban. Lead shot stays in the environment for years, and can poison unsuspecting ducks that eat it. due to lobbying by Fish and Game, some loopholes were introduced that allow some hunters to still use lead shot. SAFE is now leading the call to discontinue the use of this dangerous and polluting ammunition.

TAkE AcTioN for a ban on our website.

on June 10th SAFE was notified that 50,000 sheep and 3,000 cattle were to be sent to Mexico on a live export shipment from Timaru at dawn the next day, the largest cargo of animals ever to leave New Zealand.

Although the shipment was purportedly for breeding purposes rather than for slaughter (which is illegal), a stressful, terrifying ocean journey of several weeks lies ahead with a huge potential for serious suffering. SAFE feels this latest shipment ignores the spirit of our ban on live export because these animals will eventually be slaughtered in Mexico after they are no longer required for breeding and the journey is exactly the same, which is a major issue. Scientific studies show live export can cause huge stress and death in many cases.

The export of live animals for slaughter has been banned in New Zealand since 2003, after 5000 sheep died on an Australian shipment bound for Saudi Arabia, causing outrage amongst the public. In Australia, more than 2,500,000 sheep, cattle, and goats have died on live export ships since 1981.

There has been massive interest in this, including as far as Shanghai with talk of the damage this will do to our international reputation. For these 53,000 animals their journey has begun but SAFE is not going to let this issue go. We have sought answers from the government and are calling for a complete and final ban on ALL live exports.

TAkE AcTioN over at safe.org.nz

STOP PrESS! Live export horror

This headstone (made by volunteer Nic Eason) was used as part of an action against lead shot held

outside d.O.C. Wellington

dEFENdING dUCKS on April Fools

SAFE youth - doing their bit for animals

All around New Zealand SAFE youth members are helping animals. Some have started up animal rights groups at their schools, others are writing blogs and creating websites and one generous member asked his friends to donate to SAFE instead of buying him a present for his birthday!

If your child or teen loves animals, why not enourage them to join us and be a part of this caring and compassionate group.

SAFE youth membership is free and open to children between eight and fourteen years. SAFE youth members receive a membership badge and three newsletters per year.

For more information about SAFE Youth and how to join visit SAFE Youth on our website.

rodeo fight gets a new contender

in February SAFE teamed up with global kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts superstar Mark hunt, (aka the Super Samoan), in calling for a ban on rodeos.

Mark asked people to take a stand against the cruelty inflicted on animals in rodeos saying, As a fighter I choose to get into the cage, so does my opponent. Animals in rodeos do not. In my world the strong protect the weak. It is not right to inflict pain and scare animals for entertainment.

During rodeo events animals are chased and thrown to the ground, grabbed and wrestled aggressively and painful injuries and even death may result. Following the death of two bulls this past season SAFE is demanding action.

visit our website to TAkE AcTioN against rodeo.

SAFE is disappointed that after years of debate and controversy Auckland Zoo has continued with their plans to import elephants from Sri lanka, despite attracting a raft of criticism from elephant experts.

The Born Free Foundation says,

Exporting elephants from range states to overseas zoos is ill-conceived, unsustainable and inhumane. We firmly believe that this export to New Zealand will result in little or no conservation benefit to wild elephants, and come at a significant cost to the welfare of the individual elephants involved.

SAFE, conservation groups and wildlife experts have long opposed the import of more elephants. The zoos lone elephant, Burma, has now been on her own since 2009 when Kashin was euthanised after losing her battle with chronic health problems, largely caused by being kept in captivity.

Kashin suffered painful arthritis and foot abscesses, problems often associated with elephants kept in zoos, due to standing on hard floors and not having the space to roam and exercise. SAFE believes that Burma should be moved to a dedicated sanctuary where she can live with other elephants. At the moment Auckland Zoo has imported a single female elephant but has plans to bring in another one in the near future.

AUCKLANd ZOO Elephant Import Criticised

PIC:safe youth stuff

PIC:elephant in zoo

I DONT BELONG IN

A ZOO.

Maja was inspired to help animals after learning about animal feelings at the Animal Sanctuary in Matakana.

SAFE Business Supporters

We would like to thank SAFE Business Supporter members Putti and oasis Beauty NZ ltd for their on-going support of our work to help animals.

SBS is our new corporate partnership scheme that allows the business community to assist SAFE in our work on behalf of all animals in New Zealand. The programme enables companies that value our work to join us as business members, and receive special promotional benefits.

For more information, contact SAFEs Promotions Manager Amanda Sorrenson at amanda@safe.org.nz

Keen TO geT invOlved? Whether you can spare a little or a lot of

your time wed love to hear from you. To find out more about volunteering in your area

contact laura@safe.org.nz

it has been an action-packed six months for our dedicated SAFE volunteers around the country.

Of course, we could not let the rodeo come to town without a protest! Over 50 volunteers turned out to protest the rodeo in Christchurch in November last year, creating a colourful display of costumes and signs, which attracted many toots of support from passing motorists. The Nelson volunteers group held a similar protest in January this year, handing out rodeo cruelty fact sheets to rodeo-goers, some of whom even left the event after reading the information.

We have attended some large expos, which are always a great way to raise awareness in the community. Attending busy events such as the Pet Expo and the Go Green Expo helps us attract many new supporters and they are great opportunities to educate people about subjects such as factory farming, veganism and cruelty-free living. We also attended many smaller community events at universities, markets and school fairs.

Volunteers play a vital role in helping to spread awareness about important facts that the animal-exploiting industries try to hide from us. Most New Zealanders are against animal cruelty but simply do not know the facts, so it is important that we continue to educate people in this way so they can make informed choices.

SAFE Volunteers in action!

BeCAUSe THiS iS WROng.

Help SAFE put an end to ALL live exports

On June 10th, SAFE was notified that 53,000 animals were about to be shipped from Timaru to Mexico - the largest cargo of animals ever to leave New Zealand (see page 4).

For these unfortunate sheep and cows, a grueling and terrifying ocean journey lies ahead. Some will not adapt to the conditions and food onboard and end up sick or starve to death. The government has no way of ensuring the welfare of those that do survive the crossing.

Please visit community.safe.org.nz and make a donation towards our campaign for a final ban on All live exports. Together, we can bring an end to the needless suffering of these poor animals. Thank you.

The SAFE Christchurch team drove straight to the port and demanded access to the ship which was denied.

Christchurch volunteer picnic at Riccarton Bush