Call To Ban Cruel Goat Tethering

A proposed draft welfare code that governs how goats are treated in New Zealand has angered animal welfare campaigners who say that the suffering of tethered roadside goats has been ignored. Public submissions close this Friday.

National animal advocacy organisation SAFE says goats are highly intelligent and social creatures that require specialised care and management and should be kept in social herds. SAFE is demanding that the draft welfare code be amended to prohibit the tethering of solitary roadside goats.

“Roadside goats often lead a very lonely existence, without adequate shelter or quality food. There are regular reports of goats being attacked, tormented or found to have strangled themselves,” says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

MAF and the SPCA say they receive more complaints from the public about neglected tethered goats than about any other cases of animal abuse.

“We believe tethering goats breaches the Animal Welfare Act 1999 as the Act requires that animals must be able to express their normal behaviour. A solitary goat, chained on the roadside, clearly can do no such thing,” says Mr Kriek.

“During my time as an SPCA inspector I dealt with many incidences of goats being starved, or found with their bowels hanging out after dog attacks, or sustaining painful injuries from being hit by passing vehicles. All this suffering is just because people are too lazy to mow a strip of grass.”

Auckland Mayor and animal advocate John Banks is passionate about the welfare of animals and supports SAFE’s call for a ban on the tethering of roadside goats.

“Goats are smart and gregarious animals and do not deserve to be treated as cheap lawn mowers. Tethering these beautiful animals is cruel and this practice must be stopped,” says Mr Banks.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee has called for public submissions on the goat welfare code and SAFE urges the public to speak out against the cruel tethering of goats. Submissions close on June 11.

ENDS

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