SAFE CAMPAIGN REPORT OCTOBER 2010

SHOWCASING SAFE’S WORK IN NEW ZEALAND safe.org.nz

Curious, fun and smart

SAFE MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS LOVEPIGS CAMPAIGN GROWS

SAFE has featured in many current affairs stories as well as hundreds SAFE has been determined to keep pigs in the media throughout
of other news reports in recent months. As a result SAFE is now the year. The most recent attention was when SAFE, with the help of
recognised as the country’s leading voice for all animals. Open Rescue, revealed that nothing had changed on the pig farm first
exposed, with the help of Mike King, on Sunday in April 2009. SAFE
FACTORY FARMING OF DAIRY COWS further outed the pork industry for their misleading labelling scheme;
SAFE and the Green Party argue against cubicle dairy exposed their attempts to hide farm audits and highlighted links to
farming. a private investigations company caught spying on activists. All these
stories were highly damaging to the pork industry.
ELEPHANT IMPORTS The new code of welfare for pigs is due out later in the year. SAFE
Campbell Live, Close Up and One News discuss the logic of expects that sow stalls will be phased out but this is unlikely to happen
Auckland Zoo’s plans to import a herd of elephants. for another ten-years, which is simply not good enough. SAFE also
demands that farrowing crates be banned since they also have inherent
PIG INDUSTRY CHALLENGED serious welfare problems and are already banned elsewhere in the world.
Presenter Mike Hosking grills the Pork Board CEO on why
his industry is failing to improve conditions on pig farms. CHAMPIONING PIGS
✤ PIGS IN MUD takes on an
PIGS DEFENDED entirely new meaning when
SAFE board member, Debra Ashton, appears live on two brave souls enter the Mud,
Backbenchers to defend the need for improving pig welfare. Sweat and Tears Challenge in
Christchurch. Nice one!
PORK BOARD EMBARRASSED
The Dominion Post reveals a leaked email showing the ✤ SAFE stages a STREET POSTER
Pork Board attempting to hide their farm audits. SAFE campaign to coincide with the
✤ SAFE successfully launches
says it demonstrates the industry is not transparent. Pork Board’s AGM in Christchurch.
its DON’T BE FOOLED
A thousand A2 posters reminded
campaign outside a New World
MISLEADING PIG WELFARE LABELLING consumers not to be fooled by
supermarket in Wellington.
SAFE and Consumer NZ express concern at the pork misleading ‘welfare’ labels.
industry’s misleading ’animal welfare’ labelling scheme.
✤ Campaigners around the
✤ SAFE demonstrates at the annual
country offer passers-by free
PROTECTING GOATS 100% NZ BACON COMPETITION
‘SHAM’ SANDWICHES as the
SAFE’s call for a law change to improve the welfare of to remind judges that factory
tantalising vegetarian, cruelty-free
goats is aired on One News. farmers do not deserve to be
alternative to ham. The word on
judged favourably, given the poor
the street is that they’re delicious!
treatment of their animals.
 lovepigs.org.nz

Pigs need your help now

High-profile New Zealanders are also outraged at how pigs

are treated on factory farms and are lending a hand to SAFE’s
LovePigs campaign. Here are some of their reactions:

It makes me sick to my stomach to think that

New Zealand pig farmers using this horrific way of
farming animals can sleep at night. Sixty centimetres
by two metres to house a pregnant, living and
breathing creature! It’s hard to even comprehend
✤ SAFE’s first EYE-CATCHING BILLBOARDS calling on the public how wrong this state of living is, and that’s only just
to boycott cruel pork are placed in Auckland, Wellington and the beginning of the poor pig’s horrible existence.
Christchurch. Feedback to date is that they’re visually striking. Jails for humans are not even this inhumane, and
yet these poor animals, who are all innocence and purity, are locked up
✤ OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE star Robyn Malcolm and SAFE director in far worse conditions than criminals. We are blessed in NZ to have
Hans Kriek discuss the status of the pig industry, and where to go from more than enough luscious green land for all of us to live in peace and
here, in a new online campaign message. Youtube: SAFEAnimalAdvocacy harmony and this includes pigs! We all need to band together NOW to
free the pigs from these sickening torture chambers.
✤ SAFE produces 30,000 CONSUMER POSTCARDS calling on MPs to GIN WIGMORE, singer
support a ban on cruel sow stalls and battery cages.
The respect we show to the environment we inhabit
✤ SAFE’s ‘HELP LUCY’ TV advertisement returns to air on TV3 and C4 and our treatment of other life forms has a direct
until January 2011, reminding viewers that sows still need help. relationship to our collective social condition as a
species. The treatment of farmed animals is a sorry
indictment of the human race at present. We should
TAKE ACTION all be ashamed. In the case of pigs, New Zealanders
FREE STUFF: ORDER YOUR should feel this shame, as our love of bacon and pork
‘DON’T BE FOOLED’ PACK products has led to appalling farming practice - utterly
Help spread the word about devoid of humanity. The time to change this is now.
the pork industry’s deceptive ANTONY STARR, actor (Outrageous Fortune)
labelling campaign. Order a free
pack of posters, leaflets and It’s not necessarily a question of what you eat,
stickers to distribute in your area. but rather where that food comes from. We
Email your name and address to: like to show off our “clean, green” image to the
resources@safe.org.nz. international community but we still engage in many
disgraceful practices that make me embarrassed
to be a Kiwi. I support the work of SAFE and hope
WANTED: CAFÉS AGAINST that one day the inhumane treatment of pigs in New
FACTORY FARMING Zealand disappears completely.
SAFE is compiling a national list of TAIKA WAITITI, filmmaker and actor
retailers, cafés and eateries that
no longer use battery eggs and/or The way that most of our egg and pork products
factory-farmed pork products. are produced is wrong and it would be considered
torture if we subjected humans or companion
If you know of any place that no animals to cruel sow crates or battery cages. As a
longer uses either, please email consumer, the way your food is caught, raised and
their name and address to Mandy killed is largely up to you and by choosing humane
at: mandy@safe.org.nz. products you send producers and the government a
strong message.
GARETH HUGHES, Green Party MP
CHICKEN-LICKEN CRUELTY IMPORTING CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS
THE TRUE COST OF CHICKEN MEAT THE HUGELY FOOLISH $13M PLAN
As part of SAFE’s campaign against Despite the controversy, Auckland
factory farming, SAFE has launched its QUICK FACTS Zoo continues with its plans
chicken-cruelty campaign. Chickens, ✤ Ninety million chickens are
to import Asian elephants and
killed annually in New Zealand.
(often referred to by the poultry establish a breeding herd, claiming
industry as ‘broilers’), have been ✤ Up to 40,000 birds are kept it will be of conservational
selectively bred and reared for meat. in each large, windowless shed. significance. The proposal
Around 90 million chickens are ✤ Nearly 3.5 million chickens includes extending into Western
slaughtered in New Zealand each year. die annually before six weeks Springs to develop a larger
The majority of these birds are housed of age due to health problems. enclosure at a cost of $13 million.
in large, windowless sheds that each ✤ Thirty eight per cent SAFE says it is surprised that Auckland Zoo remains
hold as many as 40,000 birds. A typical experience difficulty walking. determined to have elephants when many international
new farm could be responsible for as zoos have decided against keeping them on grounds of
many as 320,000 chickens. ✤ On average, Kiwis consume
animal welfare.
35kg of chicken per person
SAFE campaign director Eliot Pryor SAFE and WSPA have challenged the proposal
per year.
says chicken is one of the cheapest and which has also been highly debated in the media. SAFE
most popular meats in New Zealand. expects a decision will not be made until next year and
SAFE has recently made a submission calling on the government to has mounted an initiative to help encourage the newly elected
improve chickens’ welfare conditions and reduce their suffering. super city councillors to not provide their support. SAFE has provided
“Approximately 10,000 birds die every day in New Zealand chicken a letter, signed by some of the world’s most prestigious elephant
sheds as a result of heart failure, disease and other afflictions caused experts, strongly advising the council to object on welfare grounds.
by intensive methods of production,” says Eliot. “The best way to avoid “Most elephant experts and a number of zoos are now of the
supporting this cruel industry is by no longer eating chicken and at the opinion that zoos cannot provide elephants with sufficient space
very least encouraging local shopkeepers, restaurants and cafés to stop or facilities and the elephants suffer as a result,” says SAFE director
using factory-farmed chicken.” Hans Kriek.

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DOLPHINS IN CAPTIVITY PANDALAND POLITICS

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS DOLPHIN BAN SAFE OPPOSES LIKELY PANDA IMPORTS
A coalition between SAFE, Proposals to bring two giant
WSPA, the Whale and Dolphin pandas to New Zealand have
Conservation Society and Project been slammed by SAFE. Former
Jonah has received a favourable Wellington Mayor Kerry
response from the government to Prendergast, with the support of
calls to no longer keep dolphins Prime Minister John Key, has been
in captivity in New Zealand. discussing with Chinese officials the
The move comes after years of possible acquisition of two captive
campaigning against Marineland, which has now Chinese pandas. SAFE director Hans Kriek says the proposal is a terrible
closed after the last remaining dolphin died in 2008. idea, and is concerned that pandas are used as pawns by the Chinese
“Many countries around the world already have government to boost its international relations.
legislation prohibiting the capture, importing and “The Chinese government has complete control over which zoos
exporting of dolphins. Adding New Zealand’s name receive animals, and it seems decisions are politically motivated rather than
to this growing list will help strengthen worldwide being made for conservation or animal welfare reasons,” says Hans. “Trading
public and government opposition to this cruel animals as diplomatic gifts is a throwback to the old days when animals
practice,” says SAFE director Hans Kriek. usually ended up living a miserable and often shortened lives in captivity.”

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ANIMAL RESEARCH ANIMALS AND THE LAW
CAT AND DOG RESEARCH PETITION SAFE STANDS UP FOR GOATS
SAFE presented a 12,039-signature SAFE made a submission on the
petition to Green MP Sue Kedgley draft Code of Welfare for Goats,
earlier this year, calling on the calling for a ban on tethering
Government to ban experiments on and dehorning. Supporters were
cats and dogs. SAFE’s petition was encouraged to make their own
initiated after revelations that large submissions. SAFE campaign
numbers of dogs were being bred officer Mandy Carter was
for research purposes by the Valley interviewed by Country TV.
Animal Research Centre (VARC), “Despite NAWAC’s
one of the largest suppliers of companion animals for laboratory testing acknowledgement that ‘goats WELFARE BILL COULD
in the southern hemisphere.VARC operates as a contract facility that should not be tethered,’ the draft BAN SOW STALLS!
provides animal experimentation services to national and international code makes no effort to prohibit In a stroke of good luck, Green
clients. A SAFE investigation revealed that VARC holds dozens of goats from being left tethered Party MP Sue Kedgley was
beagles in inadequate, barren kennels. on the roadside,” says Mandy. fortunate to have her Animal
“We believe the beagles are used for toxicity testing and that some “The SPCA are also opposed Welfare Amendment Bill drawn
are killed so that their tissue can be examined,” says SAFE director to tethering, and given how from the ballot box just when
Hans Kriek. vulnerable goats are to roadside the pig controversy hit the media
“Cats and dogs have a special place in New Zealand society as attacks, NAWAC has no excuse again. The Bill calls for farming
valued companion animals, and most New Zealanders would be for allowing the practice to practices that do not meet the
horrified to find out that hundreds of cats and dogs are confined in continue.” obligations of the Animal Welfare
small cages and subjected to potentially cruel and lethal experiments in Act to be phased out within
our nation’s laboratories,” says Hans. ANIMAL-LOVING five years. SAFE lobbied other
The petition was considered by Parliament’s Science and Education YOUTH PARLIAMENT parties to get behind the Bill and
Committee but their recommendation for Parliament to take note SAFE director Hans Kriek was secured support from the Maori
of the petition fell well short of expectations and cats and dogs will asked to make a presentation to Party, United Future and Labour.
continue to be used in animal experimentation in the foreseeable Youth Parliament on the issue Unfortunately, both National and
future. of free-range farming versus Act have refused their support
factory farming alongside MAF which is likely to stymie the Bill.

CALLOUS CALF INDUCTIONS

and Federated Farmers. Hans “Given John Key’s previous
said his opponents clearly failed statements on sow crates, such
THE DIRTY DAIRY FARMING SECRET to make a convincing case for as saying on national television
factory farming. “I was surprised that he found it ‘very, very
Recent publicity surrounding at the lack of knowledge displayed disturbing,’ it is disappointing
calf inductions has revealed by MAF and Federated Farmers that his government is quick
a disturbing side to the dairy and to see how unprepared they to dismiss an opportunity to
industry. Tens of thousands of were. The smart young MPs were improve pig farming practices in
cows are forced to abort their quick to judge and completely New Zealand,” says SAFE director
calves six-eight weeks prematurely, supported SAFE’s stance,” says Hans Kriek.
simply to suit the farmer’s Hans. “These Youth MPs showed a
milking schedule. Now it has lot of common sense. Shame their
been revealed that Fonterra’s adult counterparts don’t always
CEO induces his calves despite the company stating its opposition to show the same!”
the controversial practice. The CEO was left red-faced in a television
interview in which he clearly didn’t want to admit his involvement.
About 40 per cent of New Zealand dairy farmers induce healthy TAKE ACTION
cows.Veterinarians are contracted by these farmers to administer LOBBY YOUR MP
abortions by injecting pregnant cows. Approximately 200,000 calves You can help SAFE lobby MPs to
are induced annually solely for economic gain. SAFE says calf inductions ban factory farming. Order some
have serious welfare implications for the cow and calf and will continue postcards to encourage your family,
to demand a ban on this cruel practice. friends and workmates to sign.
Email the number of postcards
FOR MORE INFORMATION required with your name and address to
VISIT: safe.org.nz/Campaigns/ resources@safe.org.nz.
SAFE IN ACTION NATIONWIDE
✤ SAFE Christchurch screens
A DELICATE BALANCE, the
compelling documentary that
explores the benefits of a
vegetarian diet.
✤ Kids in Christchurch are taught
WHY ANIMALS MATTER during
the school holiday programme.
✤ VIVISECTION workshops are
held in Auckland and Christchurch
and are well attended.
✤ A public screening of
EARTHLINGS, a controversial
documentary that challenges
humanity’s attitude towards
animals, screens in Whangarei.
FANCY POWERPOINTS!
SAFE’s education officer, Nichola
Kriek, is thrilled at the exciting
new powerpoint presentations
SAFE has created for use in
schools.
“We are currently
personalising presentations
for each speaker and creating
sets of professional-looking
slide presentations on factory
farming, animal rights, animal
experimentation and animals in
entertainment,” says Nichola.
✤ AMERICAN AUTHOR Karen
Dawn gives talks about her book
and veganism in Christchurch and
Auckland.
✤ VEGETARIAN EXPERT Yolanda
Soryl, shares her knowledge of
vegetarian and vegan nutrition in
Christchurch.
✤ LYTTELTON STREET PARTY
includes a SAFE BBQ offering
delicious vegetarian sausages to
hundreds of party-goers.
✤ SAFE joins demonstrators
outside the Japanese Embassy in
Christchurch to protest the annual
slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
TRAINING SAFE SPEAKERS
Despite almost everything
available online, school talks still
remain one of the most effective
ways to encourage young people
to bring about positive change for
animals.
✤ SAFE hosts a successful talk in
Wellington to discuss the Green
Party’s PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL
that could ban battery cages and
sow stalls.
✤ A PEACEABLE KINGDOM
screens in Wellington, profiling
ways people can transform
their lives to become inspiring
ambassadors for animals.
✤ Christchurch SAFE screens
END OF THE LINE for those
interested in the exploits of the
fishing industry.
As part of SAFE’s Animals
and Us programme, SAFE has
established a national network of
volunteer speakers who can visit
their local schools. SAFE now has
speakers in Auckland, Tauranga,
Palmerston North, Nelson,
Christchurch, Oamaru, Dunedin
and Invercargill. For more info
visit: www.safe.org.nz/speakers/
If you are interested in learning
more about becoming a school
speaker, email Nichola at:
nichola@safe.org.nz.
ACTION ONLINE!
SAFE’s fan page
is attracting
fans at an
amazing rate, doubling within six
months. Our daily updates make
Facebook the best way to stay in
touch. Come join us!
Facebook: SAFE
Feeding our
fans with the
best, most
worthy snippets of latest news and
campaign updates. Tweet with us!
Twitter: @SAFElovepigs
Watch our team
in action during
some of our
campaign activities, online news
items and selected staff pics
- usually hilarious!
Youtube: SAFEAnimalAdvocacy
If you’re not
receiving SAFE’s
free ebulletins
every fortnight then you’re
missing out! Stick with us for
news, updates, invites, media alerts
and free goodies.
www.safe.org.nz/Newsletters/
SAFE SNAPSHOT
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
FAR NORTH
✤ Three information stalls
✤ Fundraising collections
WHANGAREI
✤ Film night: Earthlings
✤ Night market stall
✤ Vegan potluck
✤ Farmers market stall
AUCKLAND
✤ Over 15 stalls or displays
✤ Vegan Traveller talk
✤ Regular market stalls
✤ Pet Expo and Veggie Expos
✤ Intro to SAFE nights
✤ Fundraising collections
✤ Vegan Supper clubs
TAURANGA
✤ Healthy Living Festival stall
✤ Vegan potlucks
✤ Regular meetings
HAMILTON
✤ Inner city street stall
✤ Pet Expo stall
✤ Natural Health Expo stall
PALMERSTON NORTH
✤ Day-long pig action
✤ Factory farming stall
KAPITI COAST
✤ Collection
WELLINGTON
✤ Vegetarian BBQs
✤ Vege Expo stall
✤ Bacon award protest
✤ ‘Sham’ giveaways
✤ Bimonthly social event
✤ Beagle petition presented
✤ Film night: Peaceable Kingdom
NELSON
✤ Market stalls
✤ Nelson Girls College stall
CHRISTCHURCH
✤ Lyttelton St Party: Vege BBQ
✤ Climate Smart Film Festival
✤ Sham (veggie ham) giveaways
✤ Film night: End of the Line
✤ Eco Expo stall
✤ Vegetarian Expo stall
✤ International talk: Karen Dawn
✤ Library displays
✤ SBS Marathon as ‘pigs!’
OAMARU
✤ New SAFE group formed
✤ Monthly meetings
✤ Fundraising collection
✤ Library display
DUNEDIN
✤ Regular meetings
✤ Moro Marathon
✤ Lemonade fundraiser stall
✤ Farmers market stalls
✤ Animal Law Week stall
INVERCARGILL
✤ Monthly meetings
✤ Spring Festival stall
✤ Film screening
✤ Street stalls
LOVABLE GEMS ON YOUTUBE
STAFF PICS WITH THE AW FACTOR!
Watch the planet’s slowest residents at the world’s
only sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica. Too cute!
Youtube - meet the sloths
Highly creative, interactive viral post that reminds us that
bears have so much more to offer, given some direction!
Youtube - hunter shoots a bear
Watch Bambi, the bottle fed lamb, enjoying a pastime
shared with kids worldwide!
Youtube – bambi jumping
No chains or abuse, just a highly unusual relationship
based on kindness, respect and trust.
Youtube - 17 foot crocodile
Cats don’t like water, or do they?
Youtube – cat shower
After troubled beginnings this unlikely pair are friends
for life.
Youtube – tara bella
The antics of Simon’s cat fascinate us. He’s probably
the most watched cat on the planet!
Youtube – simons cat
Not your typical slob on the sofa!
Youtube - bulldog family guy
David Attenborough presents the amazing lyre bird
which mimics almost everything else in the forest!
Youtube - lyre bird
LOVEPIGS COLOURING COMPETITION
SAFE’s promotions manager Amanda Sorrenson organised a fabulous
colouring competition to help show how wonderfully smart pigs are
and why children should care about pigs. Many newspapers published
the competition that attracted over 100 entries from kids between
four and twelve years old. Fabulous effort!
LOVE ANIMALS LEAFLET
SAFE has published a cute
and colourful leaflet, designed
to appeal to young children,
that promotes being kind and
respectful to animals. Love
Animals is available on request by
emailing resources@safe.org.nz
with your address.
ANIMAL TALK TV
SAFE movie clips and community
advertisements are appearing on Animal Talk
TV, a New Zealand-based online channel
dedicated to animal stories. Check us out:
www.animaltalk.co.nz
GOOD WORK, GREAT PEOPLE
VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!
✤ SAFE Waiheke volunteers stage
regular MARKET STALLS on
Saturday mornings, handing out
information about SAFE’s work.
✤ Canterbury University SAFE
volunteers Regan Stokes and
Shanti Ahluwalia, dressed as pigs,
and RAN UP THE TOWER - all
the way to the eleventh story!
Awesome, guys!
✤ CINEMA-GOERS looked
surprised and amused to see
costume-clad ‘pigs’ and ‘chickens’
joining them at the movies in
Auckland.
✤ FOUR SAFE volunteers teamed
up recently to enter the SBS
10km Marathon walk - in pig
costumes!
✤ NELSON STUDENT, Cindi
Thompson, says she has always
felt more of a connection with
animals than people, which is
perhaps why she spent her
Saturday morning in a crate
dressed as a pig. Way cool, Cindi!
✤ EPSOM GIRLS GRAMMAR
students continue to show they are
passionate about animal rights and
SAFE. Their latest activities raised
over $200! Great job!
✤ ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD Kellee
Candy of Waikanae Primary says
she is so passionate about helping
animals that she has been kept
busy promoting and fundraising
for SAFE. Well done, Kellee!
FUNDRAISING FOR HENS
Campaigners in Auckland, Far
North, Dargaville, Palmerston
North, Kapiti, Wellington,
Christchurch, West Coast,
Oamaru and Invercargill have
been furiously beavering away to
raise money to help the hens. The
funds go towards making life-sized,
true-to-life models of battery
cages for stalls and displays.
Appeal coordinator Sacha Dowell
says the centres are progressing
really well.
✤ SAFE staged a demonstration
outside the Japanese Embassy to
protest against the slaughter of
dolphins. SAFE also supported
rallies in Auckland, Wellington and
Christchurch in support of ANTI-
WHALING DAY (5-6 Nov).
✤ HAMILTON VOLUNTEERS
took SAFE’s message to the Pet
Expo, which went extremely well.
✤ KERIKERI VOLUNTEERS have
been working very hard, with
regular stalls. The tireless team say
they received hundreds of signed
pig submission postcards to help
the pigs. Keep up the good work,
guys!
✤ A DOZEN dedicated SAFE
Palmy volunteers organised a
successful day of action for pigs.
✤ EIGHT BRAVE SAFE
Christchurch and Dunedin
supporters competed in the Moro
Marathon, all dressed up in pig or
chicken costumes. Fabulous effort!
“The aim is to raise
$25,000 to produce
15 battery cage models
and so far the centres
have raised one-third. We
have lots more rattling-of-
collection-buckets-while-dressed-
as-chickens to be done unless, of
course, some angel out there can
make a generous donation to put
us out of our misery!” says Sacha.
If you can help fundraise please
email Sacha at: sacha@safe.org.nz
SAFE SHOP
BEST XMAS GIFTS
Choosing to shop
compassionately and
ethically this Christmas has
become a whole lot easier!
SAFE’s cruelty-free online store
now includes their entire range
of over 450 products. The
diverse and exciting collection
includes the latest in t-shirts,
bags, wallets, shoes, cookbooks,
makeup and a huge selection
of delicious sweets, chocolates
and even dairy-free cheeses.
VOLUNTEER SAFE SPEAKERS
visit at least 15 schools to Come check us out!
promote compassion to animals. choosecrueltyfree.org.nz
SAFE ON
SHORTLAND
STREET!
Avid Shortland
Street fans may
have seen SAFE’s
Say No to Factory
Farming poster featured on their
staffroom wall set during August.
Awesome!
SAFE IN THE CAPITAL!
SAFE is delighted to introduce
a very talented campaigner and
advocate, Jonathan O’Brien, who
has been appointed SAFE’s new
Wellington coordinator. The
new SAFE office operates out
of a small, yet efficient inner city
building that is being put to good
use with all the increased activity.
If you would like to get involved
locally please email Jonathan at:
jonathan@safe.org.nz.
PIGS ON THE CATWALK!
Kiwi fashion designer and SAFE
supporter Annah Stretton,
took an anti-factory farming
message to the fashion runway
of Australia’s 2010 Fashion Week.
The collection, entitled Stop the
Slaughter, was inspired by the
activist and actress Brigitte Bardot
who, back in the sixties, was very
outspoken about animal cruelty
and advocating for animal rights.
Come check us out!
choosecrueltyfree.org.nz
ANIMALS NEED ALL THE CREATURE COMFORTS

SPECIAL MEMBER TRIBUTE

ELIZABETH MCCONNELL
SAFE promotions manager, Amanda Sorrenson, pays a special
tribute to a remarkable animal-hero and dedicated volunteer who
sadly passed away, but not without leaving SAFE a tremendous gift.

“No dear, I can’t stay for coffee. I’m off to visit a friend at the hospital.”
There was always a good reason keeping Elizabeth from spending
leisurely time with her fellow activists, after her hard graft at a SAFE
demonstration. She was simply always too busy.
Elizabeth was actually a secret hero of mine. The kind of elderly
person I want to be - independent, glamorous, fit and active, still driving
- and a keen activist to boot! Elizabeth believed it was her business to
get out onto the streets to protest, distribute leaflets or even lie on the
street for hours wearing an animal mask and toe-tag, covered with a
‘blood-stained’ sheet, to help prevent cruelty to animals.
I recently discovered that Elizabeth was actually in her mid-eighties
when she began volunteering in 2004. Elizabeth also collected for SAFE
during each Christmas appeal without fail, compensating for her petite
street presence by purloining somebody’s canine.
It turns out Elizabeth’s activism for SAFE was not well known by
her children, who could only second guess the nature of their mother’s
activities based on whether their dog was still at home! Daughter
Frances tells us “Mum used to take part in street collections and once
she went to my house, without me knowing, and took my rambunctious
Huntaway dog with her. Apparently he was very well behaved for her,
and thank heavens, as she was already fairly frail then.”
Elizabeth was an asset to SAFE, bringing an added level of dignity and
respectability that being elderly affords. If we had older people on our
team we must be addressing serious matters! Elizabeth always listened
carefully and got straight to work! She was a no-nonsense person, who
always looked sparkly and fabulous, her scarf draped glamorously over
her shoulder as she handed leaflets to the public.
I have missed Elizabeth over the last years. She told me her
forgetfulness had made assisting SAFE too difficult. In recent years we
spoke a few more times, and I visited her to advise on setting up a run
for the ex-battery hens she planned to adopt. She kept those hens until
just recently, when they were re-homed when she went into care.
Elizabeth died in November 2009 at the remarkable age of 90,
honouring SAFE with a considerable bequest. SAFE has earmarked
a portion to produce SAFE’s next humane education resource for
secondary schools, which focuses on animal experiments. It seems a
fitting tribute for Elizabeth that she can continue to help laboratory
animals, given that she was determined to lie on a cold footpath for
many hours protesting against the use of animal experiments. Her
daughter assures us Elizabeth would be pleased.
From all of the SAFE team, we thank you Elizabeth. It’s time to rest
(and put your feet up!).
If you would like to know more about leaving a legacy to SAFE in
your will please email us at: safe@safe.org.nz.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

MAKE A DONATION. JOIN SAFE. GET ACTIVE.
1) DONATE to support SAFE’s important work. Use the enclosed form or donate online now.
2) JOIN SAFE for just $40 or become a monthly donor. Sign up online at SAFE’s website.
3) VOLUNTEER in your area. Call Sacha on 03 379 9711 or email her at: sacha@safe.org.nz. www. safe.org.nz