Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against rights of property - Arson, damage, and waste

298A: Causing disease or sickness in animals

You could also call this:

“It's against the law to make animals sick on purpose or by being careless, especially if it hurts lots of animals or New Zealand's money.”

If you make an animal sick or give it a disease on purpose or without being careful, you could go to jail for up to 10 years. This applies when you don’t have a good reason or legal excuse for doing it.

The law says it’s wrong to cause a situation that puts a lot of animals at risk of getting sick or hurt. It’s also wrong if what you do might cause big problems for New Zealand’s economy.

You can get in trouble for this if you meant to cause these problems, or if you didn’t care whether these problems happened or not.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM330766.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Environment and resources > Farming and fishing
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298: Wilful damage, or

“This law about breaking things on purpose isn't used anymore.”

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298B: Contaminating food, crops, water, or other products, or

“Making food, water, or other things people use unsafe on purpose or without being careful”

Part 10 Crimes against rights of property
Arson, damage, and waste

298ACausing disease or sickness in animals

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who, without lawful justification or reasonable excuse, directly or indirectly causes or produces in an animal a disease or sickness that causes a situation of a kind described in subsection (2) to occur, either—

  2. intending a situation of that kind to occur; or
    1. being reckless as to whether a situation of that kind occurs.

      1. A situation of a kind referred to in subsection (1) is a situation that—

      2. constitutes a serious risk to the health or safety of an animal population; and
        1. is likely, directly or indirectly, to cause major damage to the national economy of New Zealand.

          Notes
          • Section 298A: inserted, on , by section 5 of the Crimes Amendment Act (No 2) 2003 (2003 No 105).