Report on the legality of rodeo in New Zealand

Anti Rodeo Action NZ

Animal advocacy group Anti Rodeo Action NZ is calling upon the New Zealand government to abide by the law and end rodeos immediately.

“Following the release of a report on rodeo for the New Zealand Animal Law Association, it is clear rodeo has already been operating illegally for some years”, said Lynn Charlton, spokesperson for Anti Rodeo Action NZ. “We are calling upon the new coalition government to uphold its own laws and end rodeos”.

The advocacy group welcomes barrister Catriona MacLennan’s findings that rodeos are illegal and in breach the Animal Welfare Act 1999, meaning rodeos cannot legally continue. “The law is the law”, Ms Charlton said.

The Rodeo Code of Welfare is obsolete and never should have been written. “You cannot set Minimum Standards for something that has no legal basis to operate”, Ms Charlton said. “What a ridiculous situation, and one that has caused harm to so many animals over so many years. Our elected officials have failed these animals very badly”.

“How this situation came about is something that will need to be addressed, but the first step is for the NZ government to uphold its own laws and put an immediate stop to these cruel events. A government that fails to do so would speak volumes to the international markets that we declare our high animal welfare standards to and would lead to a downgrade in our international standing”.

“It is immediately apparent to any member of the public that rodeo is violence towards animals”, Ms Charlton said. “Rodeo should have long been assigned to the history books – there is now no choice that it must go”.

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