Horse imports from Australia resume

April 17, 2008
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has today issued an Import Health Standard for horses from Australia, lifting the suspension on imports that has been in place since August last year.

Horse imports from Australia were halted after MAFBNZ received confirmation from the Australian Government of equine influenza outbreaks in New South Wales and Queensland. The new import requirements are designed to protect New Zealand from this highly contagious virus.
Import Standards Group Manager, Clive Gower Collins, says that the new import requirements are in accordance with agreements between the exporting country, Australia, and New Zealand.
"It has taken time to develop new import conditions because we needed to take every precaution to prevent the disease being introduced here. This included discussions with the Australian government over pre-export quarantine and testing requirements and consultation with the New Zealand Equine Health Association and industry over the practicality of the new import conditions."
"The outbreak in Australia has reinforced the importance of strict biosecurity requirements at the border. The new import requirements will ensure that horse imports do not present a biosecurity risk, and we are pleased that with its release, horses can now return home."
The IHS sets out following requirements:

• Horses must be vaccinated against equine influenza between 42 and 120 days prior to export.
• Horses must be held for at least 21 days immediately prior to export to New Zealand in approved Pre-Export Isolation (PEI) premises, where they will undergo two PCR tests, at least five days apart, for equine influenza.
• Upon arrival in New Zealand, horses must remain in a transitional facility for at least 14 days, where they will undergo a PCR test for equine influenza.
• Horses must have resided on properties free of equine influenza for three months prior to export.

The draft Import Health Standard for Horses from Australia is available at:
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/horaniic.aus.htm

NZ lifts ban on Australian horse imports

New Zealand biosecurity officials have lifted the suspension on trans-Tasman imports of horses imposed when equine influenza broke out in Sydney last August.

The Australian Government recently announced the outbreaks in NSW and Queensland were over.
"We needed to take every precaution to prevent the disease being introduced here," Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) import standards manager Clive Gower Collins said.
"The new import requirements will ensure that horse imports do not present a biosecurity risk, and we are pleased that with its release, horses can now return home."
Horses must be vaccinated against equine influenza at least 42 days before travelling and held in quarantine premises for 21 days before departure, and at least 14 days on the New Zealand side of the Tasman.

RSPCA reveals 'dark side' of its work

A new RSPCA advertising campaign will show the organisation doesn't just deal with the cute and fluffy - it's also involved in combating domestic violence and torture of pets.

The documentary-style series of ads, on television and in print media in coming weeks, highlight the link between animal and human abuse, as well as the dangers faced by RSPCA inspectors, who often accompany police on raids.
The ads show confronting scenes of domestic violence, and promote RSPCA community programs to reduce animal cruelty.
The initiatives include the Pet Protection program that houses animals belonging to victims of domestic violence, to make it easier for people to escape an abusive environment.
"Research shows that perpetrators of domestic violence often threaten the family pet with torture as a way of maintaining control," the RSPCA said.
"By removing the pet and keeping it safe, the family can take action to get out of the violent situation."
A Humane Education program educates children about respecting animals, while RSPCA inspectors often seek psychological help for people who hoard animals in appalling conditions.
RSPCA NSW chief executive Steve Coleman said the public might not be aware of the interventions the organisation undertakes to help both animals and humans.
"Clearly we've been around for a long, long time, and clearly our core work is animal welfare, but it's just so much more," he told reporters.
"What's evolved over the last four to five years are these programs that directly and indirectly impact on human welfare.
"It's a pitch by the RSPCA just to show the general public exactly what the RSPCA does, warts and all, with humans and animals."
He said he expected the ads to shock audiences.
"The footage that you will see in this campaign is quite confronting, potentially controversial, but what it does is it simply highlights the breadth of work that the RSPCA does," Mr Coleman said.
Slade Macklin, an RSPCA inspector who features in the print ads, responds to cruelty reports and seizes animals on a daily basis.
He said showing the less pleasant side of the job was essential.
"The RSPCA is put across as quite warm and fuzzy, (that we) look after little kittens and puppies and things like that, which is true," he said.
"But needless to say, we're dealing with people that at times do horrendous things to animals and some of the things that are done ... don't get shown."
"Seeing some of the things we see ... is things you don't forget, you never forget."