Effective control of pests and predators, both in commercial and environmental contexts, relies on different forms of animal capture, including lethal control resulting in the death of target animals.
Animal capture includes trapping designed to restrain or kill animals, regardless of whether or not the trap is baited with an attractant, and poisoning where animals are induced to ingest a toxin that at sufficient dose is lethal and leads usually to a delayed death after the animal has left the feeding site.
Our Position
We believe that in all forms of pest and predator control animal welfare must be paramount to reduce, as far as practicable, pain and distress suffered by captured animals. We believe that lethal control must consider the welfare of both target and non-target animals and always be carried out to minimise suffering.
For target animals, we believe all trapping, and especially kill trapping, must exceed minimum humane standards, where these are in effect, and should seek to at least meet equivalent standards where none are mandated. Lethal control of target animals using toxins must always comply with all the requirements of the product’s registration and be undertaken in a way that minimises the likelihood of target animals ingesting sub-lethal doses of toxin either directly or through secondary poisoning.
For non-target animals, we believe that every endeavor must be made to avoid them being captured or killed - it’s that simple. When kill trapping is being carried out traps should be set in a location and manner to prevent non-target animals gaining access to them. When live trapping, traps must be adequately monitored to allow captured non-target animals to be safely released with minimal distress. When poisoning, toxic bait should be contained within bait stations that are similarly only accessible by target animals.
Our Actions
To give effect to our position on the humane control of pests and predators we are committed to only producing products that meet these aspirations.
We will do so by undertaking independent testing of our products to prove their humaneness and effectiveness where required. Furthermore, we will publish the results of that testing to demonstrate our commitment to animal welfare.
Additionally, we also donate to the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Fight Fund to help prosecute cases of animal cruelty. We support the work of the SPCA to enforce the Animal Welfare Act and believe that all animals should be afforded better than minimum standards of welfare even if they are the target of pest and predator control and especially where they are subject to lethal control.