Animal Welfare Act 1999

Offences - Further provisions relating to offences

170: Liability for damage

You could also call this:

"Paying for damage to others' property if you break the Animal Welfare Act"

Illustration for Animal Welfare Act 1999

If you are found guilty of breaking the Animal Welfare Act, the court can order you to pay money to someone else. This money is to compensate them for any property they lost because of what you did. The court decides how much you must pay. You have to pay this money, and if you don't, it can be enforced like a fine. This means you might have to pay extra if you don't pay on time. If the court orders you to pay someone, it doesn't stop them from taking you to court to get more money if they think they should get more. You will still have to pay the amount the court first ordered, though.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM51924.

This page was last updated on 6 January 2026 — View changes

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169B: Offence of contravening disqualification order, or

"Breaking an animal ban is against the law"

171: Application of fines recovered in respect of offences, or

"What happens to the money when you pay a fine for hurting an animal"

Part 8Offences
Further provisions relating to offences

170Liability for damage

If a person is convicted of an offence against this Act, the court may order that that person pay to any other person such sum as the court thinks fit by way of compensation for any loss of property suffered by that second-mentioned person through or by means of the offence.
An order for a payment under this section may be enforced in the same manner as a fine.
An order under this section does not affect the right of a person to recover by civil proceedings any sum in excess of the amount paid under the order.