Draft Camelid Code of Welfare

Final Draft submitted to National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC)

What is a Code of Welfare?

The Animal Welfare Act provides for codes of welfare that:

promote appropriate behaviour,

establish minimum standards, 

promote best practice for people owning or looking after animals.

The codes outline the basic level of animal management and care required, but are flexible enough to be modified and improved as community expectations, scientific knowledge and technical advances allow.  There are a number of codes covering other species.

Why do we need one?

Presently there isn’t one specifically covering camelids. A code of welfare is the single most important tool used by the SPCA and MAF when investigating cases of abuse or neglect. Upon completion, codes are signed off by a Minister to become law, and helps define whether the authorities can prosecute. For example, it seems no coincidence that the new cat code of welfare became law on a Friday, and the very next Monday SPCA & MAF combined to raid a property in Woodville to rescue many, many cats, along with numerous dogs.

Recommended best practices in the codes are not legally binding. But minimum standards are – failing to meet a minimum standard can support a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Similarly, evidence of meeting or exceeding minimum standards can be used as a defence against prosecution.

Creating Codes of Welfare.

Anyone can draft a code of welfare. It must then be submitted to the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) for consideration and public consultation. NAWAC considers public submissions then decides whether to recommend the code to the Minister of Agriculture, to be issued.

Creation of a NZ Camelid Code of Welfare.

Back in February Penny King lodged an 11th hour application to the Sustainable Farming Fund on behalf of the NZ Llama Association, requesting $7,500 over two years, from a projected budget of $9,500, to help the development of a Llama code of conduct.

What is the Sustainable Farming Fund?

The purpose of the Sustainable Farming Fund is to support projects that will contribute to improving the financial and environmental performance of the land-based productive sectors. The Fund aims to help the land based sectors solve problems and take up opportunities to overcome barriers to economic, social and environmental viability. It will do this by bringing together “communities of interest”. These are groups of people drawn together by a shared problem and/or opportunity in the sustainable use of resources. 222 applications were received for funds of over $30 million.

What will this involve?

A team needs to be drawn together to work with MAF, SPCA and the Alpaca Assn., to draw up a draft code for submission.

What can be done in the meantime?

People can contact the MAF Hotline or their local SPCA about any species as they are all covered by the general Animal Welfare Act.