All articles

​SPCA advocates for continuous improvement in use of animals in research, testing, and teaching where animal behavioural experiments are used.

​SPCA advocates for continuous improvement in the refinement, reduction, and replacement of animals used in testing.

Rodeos are a form of entertainment in which horses and cattle are used in competitive events. These events include bronc riding, bull or steer riding, steer wrestling, and rope and tie. SPCA advocates for an end to the use of animals in rodeo in New Zealand because these events cause unnecessary distress and can result in significant injuries to the animals involved.

Budgies, or Budgerigars, are colourful parakeets native to Australia. They are inquisitive and very social little birds that can live for around 8-12 years. If trained, some budgies can even mimic human speech!

The terms ‘animal welfare’ and ‘animal rights’ are often used interchangeably. But they’re actually two different things. Read more about SPCA’s view of what we have in common and what our differences are here.

In New Zealand, animals are used for research, testing, and teaching (RTT) for a variety of reasons. Animals may be used in experiments to find new health treatments for humans or other animals, to better understand wildlife behaviour such as migration routes, to test the safety of a new drug, or to facilitate learning outcomes for students.

Rats are intelligent, inquisitive and sociable animals! They grow on average about 20-25cm and their life span is about 2-2.5 years.

The 3Rs are ethical principles used to advance the welfare of animals used in research, testing, and teaching.

​SPCA advocates that animal products for sale in New Zealand must be produced to welfare standards that meet or exceed New Zealand law, and should be labelled accordingly.

​SPCA opposes the use of electroimmobilisation.