Will you be a Voter for Animals this Election?

Find out which NZ political parties care about animals used for science and pledge to be a voter for animals this election.
October 2, 2023

Your vote is your power to make the lives of animals better and brighter. Because it is you and your friends and whānau that decide who sits on those Parliament seats that can make a difference to the rules and regulations that will either free or trap animals in experimentation for years to come.

SIGN THE PLEDGE

We hope you will use this power and take the Pledge to be a Voter for Animals this election. If you are one of the first 500 supporters to do so, we will send you a limited-edition cat pin of your preferred colour, so you can proudly show your support, for animals, on your sleeve, chest or wherever you want to pin it!

Today is the first day you can officially vote. The last day you can officially vote is the 14th of October, Election Day. That’s 14 days in total. Time is ticking down from now.

From today, the more people you can take to the polling booth, with you, the better off animals in Aotearoa will be. Because the stakes are too high to stay home.

Take your friends and/or whānau to the polling booth with you so they, too, can be a Voter for Animals! Please share the Pledge with them so they can get their free cat pin, as well.

BE AN INFORMED VOTER FOR ANIMALS

Months ago now, we started reaching out to the main political parties in NZ (i.e., political parties that at the time were polling over the 1% threshold) and asking them to fill in our short animal testing questionnaire!

We've collated this data to help shows you which political parties back the policies NZAVS fights for and those that don’t.

Political Party Animal Testing Questionnaire results:

  • Access a summary of the results here.
  • View more details on the responses from the main political parties here.

We hope this info will help inform you on these specific policies that matter to NZAVS. Please always factor in the policies that matter to you, too. Your vote is your voice.

WHY CATS?

You might be wondering why we chose cats to create these limited-edition lapel pins. Cats are well-loved animals; in fact, they’re the most popular companion animal in NZ, with 41% of households sharing their home with at least one cat.1

Those lucky enough to share their life with a cat know that cats are determined to get what they want! They’ll protest loudly or quietly and at strategic times, in order to wear you down, or ‘train you’ until they get it.

The General Election is also about protesting at a strategic time. When you vote, you too are protesting about what you care deeply about. Going for what you want.

We know that animals trapped in research, testing and teaching matter to you and so now is the time to channel your inner cat, and vote! Because there is no way a cat would ever let others decide what matters most to them.

We also know most New Zealanders would be shocked to know that cats are still used in cruel animal experiments here, in Aotearoa!  The most recent data we can uncover from 2021, shows that 762 cats were used for research, testing and teaching purposes in NZ and 32% of these animals were killed.2

Cats are used for a myriad of different tests from testing pet food formulations to testing toxic bait formulations and traps.

Even more shocking to learn, is that there are cats inside breeding units in NZ who are used for different types of research over and over again. These are often referred to by researchers as ‘colony cats’.

We don’t know how long these animals are in the breeding units and if they get a life outside of those concrete walls at the end. We also don’t know how many cats were born there; who may never know what the outside world looks like….

Cats, like all animals, deserve better than this. This is just one of the many reasons why NZAVS works so hard to #endanimaltesting.

Together, we can end animal experimentation in Aotearoa.

Use your vote. So many fought for it. Never waste it. Be a Voter for Animals this election!

Important disclaimer: NZAVS is non-partisan. Our Party Policy Guide is to help inform the public on policy positions that matter to NZAVS. Please always factor in the policies that matter to you, too. Your vote is your voice.

Authorised by Tara Jackson, the New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Incorporated (NZAVS), PO Box 9387 Tower Junction, Christchurch 8149.

With your help we can end animal experimentation in Aotearoa.