Animal Liberation Aotearoa : News

Last year several animal rights activists were arrested during a week of action against vivisection and the ANZCCART conference in Auckland.

The arrests, subsequent charges of being unlawfully in an enclosed yard, relate to a demonstration at the Landcare Research Offices in East Tamaki. Landcare Research conducts "pest control" research on animals including small numbers of cats and dogs. In 2003 painful experiments resulting in "severe" and "very severe" suffering were conducted on rabbits, rats, possums, mice, ferrets and fish.

Abolitionist No.8 Out Now

The Abolitionist is an on-line magazine from Australia. The 8th issue has just come out.

There are many articles including:
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Jane Duck interviewed
Jumps Racing interview with expert Lawrence Pope
The Season to Go Vegan with well-known international animal
Activists favourite recipes and they tell why they are vegan.
Confessions of an Ex-Slaughterman - not to be missed!
Mindless Conformity: Lynda Stoner writes on agribusiness in Australia

GSK Director Gets Early Morning Xmas Message

This morning animal rights activists gave GSK Director, Michael Bryant, an early (and rather loud) xmas message that GSK's involvement in animal testing will not be tolerated.

GSK are HLS's single largest customer. They use HLS for experiments every single day and are responsible for the pain and suffering of thousands of animals every year. There is an international campaign to shut down HLS and there are demonstrations and actions world wide targeting GSK for their role in HLS animal abuse.

Battery Hen Farm Tour

Last week, following a workshop about battery hens, nearly 20 people went to a South Auckland factory farm to see first hand how battery hens in Aotearoa are living. For many this was the first time they had been to a factory farm but it was something they needed to see, despite the risk.

More Charges Withdrawn Against Activists

This week another activist had charges of assault withdrawn from Court. These charges related to an Auckland Animal Action protest against factory farmed fur being sold in a New Market retailer in March this year.

Activists Betrayed by Rob Gilchrist: Police Informant

UPDATED: It has been revealed that for the last ten years Rob Gilchrist has been paid by the NZ Police to spy on activists groups within New Zealand. Many of those involved with Animal Liberation Aotearoa, and previously Auckland Animal Action, regarded Rob as a friend and comrade. Below are links to all the media reports.

Charges Against Activist Dismissed

Yesterday an Auckland activist had charges of intimidation and unlawfully in a yard dismissed by the Judge at the North Shore District Court. The charges related to an Auckland Animal Action demo against GlaxoSmtihKline’s involvement with European contract animal testing company Huntingdon Life Science (HLS).

December Battery Hen Farm Tour: Please come along

This December we are taking a visit to an Auckland battery hen farm and would like you to come along.

There are over 2.5 million battery hens in New Zealand; producing over 90% of New Zealand's eggs. These animals are confined to sloping wire cages in dark sheds, with little or no natural light. Virtually all of a battery hens natural behaviours are suppressed - they cannot perch, preen, or spread their wings; they will never see the sun, scratch the earth or forage for food. They are denied the opportunity to make nests, dustbathe, and engage in normal social interaction.

Climate Global Day of Action: Auckland demonstration against Kwila

"Western demand for kwila is not only killing the forests, it is also killing our people. The forest is seen as our mother, which provides us with food, water and shelter - and when that is taken away, our people lose everything."

Saturday 06 December 2008
13:00pm - 15:00pm
Design Warehouse
136 Fanshawe Street
Auckland

Peta Expose Chinese Rabbit Fur Farm

PETA Asia-Pacific's new video footage from an undercover investigation shows rabbits crammed into filthy cages that are encrusted with urine and feces. Workers at the farm pull rabbits from cages by their ears and shoot them in the head with handheld electrical devices - often multiple times - while the terrified animals kick and scream. Then the rabbits are hung upside-down and decapitated.

Animal Abuser Targeted in Early Morning Demo

Early this morning activists held a demo at the home of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) director Michael Bryant. This was to protest GSK’s involvement with animal testing at Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). Leaflets were also dropped at the home of Paul Rose, the other New Zealand Director.

Animals Liberated Worldwide

Reading Bite Back is a great way to keep your sprits up and today was even better than most. The Animal Liberation Front has been busy world wide with four reported actions on Bite Back alone in the last day. This bought a smile to our face and we wanted to share.

Liberate Issue 3: State Oppression of Animals and Activists (Submissions Wanted)

For the third issue of Liberate, we will be featuring "State oppression of animals and activists". In this feature we will discuss the role of the state in furthering and maintaining animal abuse through mechanisms such as requiring animal testing of new products, subsidising dairy farmers and allowing industry to write codes of welfare. Further to this we will discuss how the state protect animal abusing companies and industries by targeting activists.

French Cafe Agrees to Remove Foie Gras

Auckland restaurant, The French Cafe, has agreed to remove foie gras from their menu after being given information on the cruel nature of this animal abusing industry.

The Auckland Animal Rights Collective will continue their campaign agaisnt foie gras. They will be moving on to other restaurants and delis serving and stocking this cruel product so watch this space.

Activists Rescue Pullets for World Vegan Day

To celebrate World Vegan Day we spent the night in countryside at a pullet farm. We rescued 12 young pullets who had spent their whole life caged on the farm. There were destined to for a battery hen cage but they will now enjoy a long life, full of sunshine, grass and love.

Anti-Foie Gras Campaign Launched

The Auckland Animal Rights Collective (AARC) is launching a new campaign this Friday against foie gras. This campaign is in addition to the long running Fur Free Auckland campaign that we have been running and will continue in much the same style.

World Vegan Day: Celebrating Compassion

Saturday, November 1st, 2008
4 pm - 8 pm
The Loft
First Floor, 103 Beach Road
Auckland

Celebrate vegan unity in diversity for World Vegan Day. There will be music, info stalls, a feast of vegan delights, informative speakers, and various vegan/vegan-friendly groups.

Open Rescue Activist Found Guilty for Saving Lives

Update: Mark Eden appeared on Close Up about this. To view the Close Up story click here. (Click under Close Up: Compassionate Crime)

A diehard animal rights activist - who once chained himself to a bacon truck - says the battery hens he liberated in his latest protest are happy, safe and will live long lives.

For Mark Eden it was a crime of passion but saving the hens came at a cost for the broke, aspiring film-maker.

Hamilton to Celebrate Anti-McDonalds Day

This day is a protest against the promotion of junk food, the unethical targeting of children, exploitation of workers, animal cruelty, damage to the environment and the global domination of corporations over our lives. McDonalds is the worlds single largest user of beef, much of which is raised on former tropical rainforest land.

Where: Garden Place, Hamilton City

NZ Open Rescue: Minister is Failing Farmed Animals

New Zealand Open Rescue has produced a five minute documentary reviewing intensive farming in New Zealand. The documentary is targeted to MP's and calls for party policy on Animal Welfare.

The organisation is also calling for separate Ministry's of Animal Welfare and Agriculture, as currently Welfare falls under Agriculture.

Abandoned Cats Need Your Help

This week ALA learnt of a house in Glen Eden where several cats had been abandoned by the tenants. The house is due to be demolished as part of Council works along the nearby streamside. The tenants had moved out and left their cats there. Initially we thought there were only two or three cats there however after further investigation and a call from the SPCA we established that there are nine cats (six adults and three eight-month old kittens).

The cats have been left in the house however they can access the outside. They have been left with no food or water and the house stinks of cat excrement and urine. The room where the cats seem to send most of their time is full of rubbish and household items the tenants did not take with them. Outside the house the patio is covered in dog faeces and more rubbish.

Liberate Issue Two Out Now!

In this issue Liberate discuss veganism and the need to recognise that all forms of oppression are linked; hence the feature title; Vegan is Not Enough. It is not enough to recognise our privilege over animals but ignore that which we have over women, other cultures, queers and the environment. Similarly people active in social justice movements often do not acknowledge the power and privilege they hold over the earth and our animal brothers and sisters.

Activists Liberate Lambs & Chickens for World Farm Animals Day

UPDATED: Animal Liberation Aotearoa spokesperson Kali Sandbrook was interviewed about this action by Larry Williams on NewsTalk Zb. To listen to her interview click here.

Animal rights activists have liberated two lambs, two broiler chickens and ten battery hens from pastoral and factory farms to mark both world vegetarian day (Oct 1st) and world farm animals day (Oct 2nd).

"The animals were rescued to spare them from slaughter and challenge the assumption that animals are food", states the communiqué Animal Liberation Aotearoa (ALA) received from the activists involved.

Celebrate World Vegetarian Day

October 1st marks World Vegetarian Day. On this day a vegan picnic will be held at Nixon Park, Central Ave, Kingsland. 6pm.

Local Support for the Beagles

A local Manawatu resident is looking for other interested locals to attend and help organise regular demonstrations at the Valley Animal Research Centre.

Valley Animal Research Centre (VARC) is a contract animal testing company, which keeps over two hundred beagles for experiments. VARC was set up two years ago by Allen Goldenthal and his wife, Margaret Harkema. The company has facilities in Hawke's Bay and in the Manawatu, where they keep both dogs and cats for research purposes.

The Price of Milk - A Debate

SAFE presents a debate on the effects of the milk and dairy industry on animals. Guest speakers will explore in depth this issue on both sides of the argument, taking in health, environment, animal rights and economic issues, especially relating to how it interacts with New Zealand culture. Is milk really just a source of ‘wholesome goodness and simple nutrition'?

Kelly the Dolphin Dies After 34 Years of Performing

Marineland's elderly dolphin Kelly has died after 34 years in the limelight, marking the "end of an era", Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott said today.

Marineland manager Gary Macdonald told NZPA Kelly had been ill for about a week but had perked up yesterday which made her death in the early hours of this morning quite a surprise.

Activists Tour Pig Factory Farm

In Aotearoa there are over 350,000 pigs on factory farms; most destined to be eaten. They live in filthy crammed conditions, unable to display of their natural behaviours such as foraging, nesting, forming hierarchies and in many cases even turning around. In 2005 over 750,000 pigs were slaughtered for their flesh. This is hard to believe and something we had to see for ourselves.

On a sunny winter day in June we took a ‘self guided' tour of a North Island pig farm. The point of this farm tour was to see, with our own eyes, how pigs were factory farmed in this country and to gain a better understanding of pigs in general.

Farmers Accused of Impaling Cow On Tractor

Two 42-year-old central North Island men will appear in Ohakune District Court next Friday to face animal cruelty charges after what police call a "barbaric" incident.

The charges follow the discovery by Ohakune police sergeant Mike Craig of a live cow impaled on the forks of a tractor front-end loader. Mr Craig said he could not believe his eyes when he was driving past the tractor, on State Highway 49 between Ohakune and Waiouru, and saw the cow's head moving.

Walk for the Beagles in Palmerston North

The recent Walk for the Animals in Palmerston North, organised by SAFE and Save the Beagles Campaign to protest against animal testing, was a huge success. Despite pouring rain almost 100 people marched around the central city holding placards and banners to voice their opposition to the local animal testing laboratory (Valley Animal Research Centre).