Barbecued dog prompts law change call

Eating pets issue makes Parliament

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The SPCA is calling for a review of the Animal Welfare Act following an incident where a man cooked his pet dog in a backyard barbecue.

South Auckland man Paea Taufa was found roasting his pitbull terrier-cross in an umu pit at his home in Mangere, south Auckland.

The dog had been skinned and gutted and was partially charred when SPCA inspectors arrived.

Mr Taufa said he was surprised when inspectors arrived, because dog was a delicacy in Tonga.

He had decided to cook the dog because it was too skinny and had become unmanageable. He rendered the dog unconscious with a blow to the head before slitting its throat, which is regarded as humane.

Under the Animal Welfare Act it is legal to kill a dog in New Zealand if the animal is slaughtered swiftly and painlessly.

But SPCA Auckland chief executive Garth Halliday is calling for a review of the Animal Welfare Act to ensure such practices are condemned in the future.

"Clearly this culture is totally unacceptable in New Zealand, however, we must understand that to certain immigrants from the Pacific Islands the practice is considered normal.

"The law as it stands does not allow the SPCA to prosecute those who indulge in this habit if the animal is killed humanely, as it was in this case, neither does the law condemn the eating of domestic pets," Mr Halliday said.

He said the SPCA agreed with Auckland Mayor John Banks, who said the focus needed to be on education.

The Auckland SPCA, with the NZ Companion Animal Council, will produce multi-lingual brochures to provide basic animal welfare guidelines to island immigrants.

The Royal New Zealand SPCA has also voiced its concern, and will talk to Tongan community leaders about preventing the killings of dogs for human consumption.

The SPCA will also ask the New Zealand Food Safety Authority to impose firmer standards on what can or cannot be eaten.

Royal New Zealand SPCA national chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said the issue might be viewed differently from other cultures.

"But we believe that the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders of all ethnicities will share our shock and concern over this incident.

"Over the next few days, we hope to talk to Tongan community leaders and enlist their involvement in making the community more aware that slaughtering and eating pets is unacceptable."

Ms Kippenberger also planned to raise the animal welfare and human health risks involved in backyard killings with Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina Te Heu Heu.

She will be seeking the minister's involvement in discouraging this practice.

"In addition, we will be contacting the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and pressing for more robust standards over what can or cannot be eaten. The fact is that animals such as this domestic dog, slaughtered in back yards, may be disease-ridden and unsuitable for human consumption.

"Although home slaughter is not inherently illegal, much of it fails to meet the humane standards required by our animal welfare legislation. We will also, therefore, be fully investigating what can be done to prevent the slaughter for consumption of dogs and other domestic animals under the current law," Ms Kippenberger said.

SPCA inspectors said there was evidence that killing and eating dogs was becoming more common in New Zealand.

Mr Taufa said he would not cook another dog.

- NZPA