Animal advocacy group Direct Animal Action have launched a petition calling on Rodney Local Board to ban the Warkworth Rodeo and all rodeo events on land under their management.

Since 2016, the group has held large protests on New Year’s Day outside the Warkworth Rodeo at the Warkworth Showgrounds. The local board is the decision maker for leases at the showgrounds.

Spokesperson for Direct Animal Action Apollo Taito says New Year’s Day 2020 will see the group’s fifth protest at the event.

“Each year the controversy and public debate heightens around rodeo and its inherent animal welfare issues.”

“Last year a report by the New Zealand Animal Law Association found rodeo to be illegal and Green Party MP Gareth Hughes tabled a private members bill that will outlaw the worst aspects of rodeo.”

“The Rodney Local Board is now the only local board in Auckland which continues to host rodeo on land under their management.”

“They really need to catch up with the rest of Auckland. We’ve had a gutsful of having to protest animal abuse in the guise of entertainment every year,” said Mr Taito.

The petition will be handed over to the Rodney Local Board at their first business meeting of 2020.

© Scoop Media