Positions - Entertainment, Sport and Work

SPCA advocates that animals in entertainment, sport, and work must have a Good Life where they experience positive welfare and their physical, health, and behavioural needs are met.

SPCA advocates that animals must only be kept in captivity if they are provided with a Good Life that provides positive welfare and meets their physical, health, behavioural needs for the duration of their lives. Species-appropriate enrichment for all captive animals is essential to ensure their welfare; and this enrichment must be varied to reduce habituation.

SPCA opposes the use of animals in circuses or travelling menageries because the demands placed on the animals to meet the entertainment schedule result in negative impacts to their welfare.

SPCA advocates for organisational responsibility for competitive and fundraising events to ensure that all animals involved have a Good Life where they experience positive welfare and have their physical, health, and behavioural needs met.

SPCA opposes the hunting of animals by humans with birds of prey for entertainment, sport, and work.

SPCA opposes the feeding of live prey to captive animals.

SPCA opposes animal fighting for sport or entertainment, for example dog fighting and cock fighting.

SPCA supports housing systems that provide game birds with choices to experience a Good Life with positive welfare and meet their physical, health, behavioural needs.

​SPCA advocates for the end of the New Zealand greyhound racing industry. While greyhound racing continues in New Zealand, SPCA advocates for the greyhound racing industry to improve its practices to provide a Good Life where greyhounds experience positive welfare and meet the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the dogs for the whole of their life.

SPCA advocates for deliberate decision-making for animal ownership and that animals must only be kept as companions when a person has the knowledge, ability, and means to provide a Good Life and meet their physical, health, and behavioural needs.