Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Animal Welfare Act 1999

Conduct towards animals - Animal fighting ventures

31: Animal fighting ventures

You could also call this:

"It's against the law to make animals fight or help them fight for sport or entertainment."

If you own or look after an animal to make it fight, you commit an offence. You also commit an offence if you sell, buy, move, or give an animal to someone so it can fight. This is because you are helping an animal fighting venture happen.

An animal fighting venture is an event where at least two animals fight for sport, betting, or entertainment. You are involved in an animal fighting venture if you help make this event happen. This does not include activities where the main goal is to hunt or kill wild animals.

If you knowingly help an animal fight, you can get in trouble with the law. This means you cannot own, keep, or train an animal to fight on purpose. You also cannot sell or move animals so they can be used for fighting.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM50434.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal lawEnvironment and resources > Farming and fishing
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30E: Certain provisions relating to traps and devices not excluded, or

"Rules about traps and devices still apply to protect animals"

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32: Power to declare traps or devices to be prohibited or restricted traps or devices, or

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Part 2Conduct towards animals
Animal fighting ventures

31Animal fighting ventures

  1. A person commits an offence who—

  2. knowingly owns, possesses, keeps, trains, or breeds an animal for the purposes of having that animal participate in an animal fighting venture; or
    1. knowingly sells, buys, transports, or delivers to another person any animal for the purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture.

      1. In this section, animal fighting venture—

      2. means any event that involves a fight between at least 2 animals and is conducted for the purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment; but
        1. does not include any activity the primary purpose of which involves the use of 1 or more animals in hunting or killing an animal in a wild state.