Animal Welfare Act 1999

Miscellaneous provisions - Exceptions in relation to use of animals to protect human health or safety

179: Use of animals to protect human health or safety

You could also call this:

"Using animals to help keep people safe at work"

If you work for certain agencies, you can use animals to help keep people safe. You can use animals to protect human health or safety when you are doing your job. This is allowed as long as you are not using the animals for research, testing, or teaching, and you are listed in the Schedule 3.

You are allowed to use animals as substitutes for humans when you are carrying out your duties. This helps you to protect human health or safety, or enforce the law. The agencies that can do this are listed in the Schedule 3.

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This page was last updated on 19 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM51936.

Topics:

Environment and resources > Farming and fishingHealth and wellbeing > Public health

178: Certain provisions relating to traps and devices not excluded, or

"Rules about traps and devices that still apply"

180: Power to amend Schedule 3 by Order in Council, or

"The Governor-General can update a list called Schedule 3 to add, change or fix information about government agencies."

Part 9Miscellaneous provisions
Exceptions in relation to use of animals to protect human health or safety

179Use of animals to protect human health or safety

Nothing in this Act makes it unlawful for any person belonging to, or acting on behalf of, any of the agencies listed in Schedule 3 to use (other than for research, testing, or teaching) animals as substitutes for humans in the course of carrying out statutory functions or duties or exercising statutory powers for the purposes of protecting human health or safety or enforcing the law.