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Animal Welfare Act 1999

Offences - Further provisions relating to offences

173: Expenses incurred by inspectors and territorial authorities

You could also call this:

"Paying back costs for helping animals"

When you exercise certain powers under the Animal Welfare Act, you might incur expenses. These expenses can be recovered from the owner or person in charge of the animal. This includes costs of veterinary treatment and destroying an animal, as stated in sections like section 53, section 127(5) to (7), section 131, section 133(2) to (4), section 137, and section 138.

If a territorial authority destroys an animal under section 139, they can recover their expenses from the owner or person in charge of the animal. You can recover these expenses as a debt or the court can assess them if the person is convicted of an offence against the Animal Welfare Act.

The court can recover these expenses in the same manner as a fine if the person is convicted of an offence.

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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.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Farming and fishingHealth and wellbeing > Public health
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172: Power of court to order that certain animals be forfeited to the Crown or approved organisation, or

"Courts can take away animals from people who hurt them to keep them safe"

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

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Part 8Offences
Further provisions relating to offences

173Expenses incurred by inspectors and territorial authorities

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.