Animal Welfare Act 1999

Offences - Further provisions relating to offences

173: Expenses incurred by inspectors and territorial authorities

You could also call this:

"Paying for animal care when inspectors are involved"

Illustration for Animal Welfare Act 1999

You can be charged for expenses when inspectors or territorial authorities look after animals. These expenses include veterinary treatment and destroying an animal. You have to pay these expenses if you own the animal or are in charge of it. You also have to pay expenses if a territorial authority destroys your animal under section 139. These expenses can be recovered as a debt or as a fine if you are convicted of an offence. The court can decide how you pay these expenses. If inspectors use powers from section 53, section 127(5) to (7), section 131, section 133(2) to (4), section 137, or section 138, you have to pay the expenses. You have to pay for any veterinary treatment or destroying an animal. The expenses are recoverable from you as the owner or person in charge of the animal.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM51927.

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

Topics:

Animal welfare > Animal care and protectionMoney and consumer rights > Debts and finesGovernment and voting > Local councils

172: Power of court to order that certain animals be forfeited to the Crown or approved organisation, or

"The court can take animals away from people who hurt them to keep them safe."

174: Certain offences against Dog Control Act 1996 to be treated as offences against this Act, or

"Some dog offences are also treated as animal welfare offences"

Part 8Offences
Further provisions relating to offences

173Expenses incurred by inspectors and territorial authorities

All expenses reasonably incurred by any person as a result of the exercise of any of the powers conferred by section 53 or section 127(5) to (7) or section 131 or section 133(2) to (4) or section 137 or section 138 or by any person called upon under section 133(5), including in each case the costs of any veterinary treatment reasonably required in respect of an animal and the costs of destroying an animal, are recoverable from the owner or person in charge or appearing to be in charge of the animal.
All expenses reasonably incurred by a territorial authority in destroying an animal under section 139 are recoverable from the owner or person in charge or appearing to be in charge of the animal.
Those expenses are recoverable as a debt or, where the person from whom they are recoverable is convicted of an offence against this Act in respect of the animal, may be assessed by the court and be recoverable from the defendant in the same manner as a fine.