SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says "The NZDIA has done the right thing, and we’re glad to see Bertram has been held to account over his actions. He should take this as an opportunity to right his wrongs and show that he takes animal welfare seriously."

"However, the award organisers should have done their homework in the first place."

"We live in the digital age where all of our online actions are taken as a reflection of our character. It was no secret what Bertram was posting on social media and it should have been taken into account."

"We’d also like to see the NZDIA build animal welfare into their judging criteria as a priority. The bar for animal welfare has been set very low across the industry, so we’d like to see NZDIA show some leadership in that regard."

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