Animal surgery rules under review

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New Zealanders are being urged to have their say on rules governing surgical procedures on animals before submissions close next week.

The Ministry for Primary Industries is proposing clearer rules about who can do what, looking at regulations to clarify the rules for significant surgical procedures on a wide range of animals.

Deputy director general for regulation and assurance, Bryan Wilson, said it was essential that procedures on animals be carried out by the right people with the right skills and care, to ensure the wellbeing of animals.

"We are proposing clearer rules about who can carry out certain procedures on animals and how they must be done.

"We want to hear from people who work with and care for animals, and anyone else who is interested in animal welfare regulations."

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Public consultation is open with submissions closing on Wednesday July 24 on proposed regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Seven public meetings were held around the country during June and July.

"Animal welfare matters. It's important to animals, it's important to people and it's important to New Zealand," Wilson said.

"The proposed rules mostly allow competent people to continue doing routine procedures on animals. Some proposals raise the standard."

To make a submission, find a public meeting or find out more visit www.mpi.govt.nz/animal-consult.

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Background to changes

Under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 (the Act), 'significant surgical procedures' may only be undertaken by a veterinarian (or a veterinary student under the direct supervision of a veterinarian) unless regulations provide otherwise.

From May 2020, new criteria will be brought in to the Act to make it easier to determine whether a procedure is a 'significant surgical procedure'.

To go with these criteria, MPI is proposing regulations to make it clear who can carry out certain procedures and what requirements must be met.

The proposed regulations:

• Continue allowing competent non-veterinarians to undertake some procedures, with certain conditions ensuring proper skill and care – an example is treating sheep vaginal prolapses (bearings)
• Confirm that some procedures must only be carried out by a veterinarian – an example is castrating donkeys
• Confirm that some procedures are prohibited meaning no one, not even a veterinarian, can perform them – an example is cropping dogs' ears to make them stand up
• Require that for specified procedures, suitable pain relief must be used – an example is disbudding goats.

MPI says it is seeking submissions on the proposed regulations and asking general questions to do with the proposals on issues such as compliance and enforcement.

MPI says it wants to understand the possible impacts, benefits and costs of the proposals to animals and the people who work with and care for them.

Where the proposed regulations will mean changes to current practice, it wants to hear whether a lead-in time is necessary.