The Atlas/Welfare, Law & Identification/Code of Welfare: Dogs
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Code of Welfare: Dogs
Code of Welfare: Dogs (2018) · NAWAC / Ministry for Primary Industries
New Zealand’s official code of welfare for dogs, setting the minimum standards that give the Animal Welfare Act its day-to-day meaning.
01 What It Is
The Code of Welfare: Dogs is issued by the Minister of Agriculture under sections 75 and 76 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, on the advice of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. It is the instrument that sets out, in detail, what meeting a dog’s needs actually requires under the Act. The current code came into force on 1 October 2018 and has since been amended.
02 What It Covers
The code is built around numbered minimum standards. They cover food and feeding, body condition (with veterinary action required for dogs that are too thin or grossly obese), water, and the containment, tethering and shelter of dogs, including limits on how a dog may be contained or tethered and the collars and tethers that may be used.
03 How It Is Checked
A code of welfare does not create offenses on its own, but it carries real weight: a person’s compliance with, or breach of, its minimum standards can be used as evidence in proceedings under the Animal Welfare Act. It is maintained and reviewed by NAWAC to keep pace with current knowledge.
04 Why It Matters
It is where the New Zealand law’s broad duty becomes specific. For a dog, the difference between adequate and inadequate care is measured against these published minimum standards rather than left to interpretation.
Common Questions
Is it law?
Not on its own. It is a code of welfare issued under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, and it does not create offenses by itself. But compliance with, or breach of, its minimum standards can be used as evidence in proceedings under the Act.
Who issues it?
The Minister of Agriculture issues it on the advice of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, and the Ministry for Primary Industries administers it.
What does it cover?
Numbered minimum standards for food and feeding, body condition, water, and the containment, tethering and shelter of dogs, including limits on how a dog may be contained or tethered.
How does it carry weight if it is not law itself?
Through the Act: a person’s compliance or breach can be used as evidence in proceedings. The advisory committee keeps it under review to reflect current knowledge.
Who does it apply to?
Anyone responsible for a dog in New Zealand.
Why does it matter?
It is where the law’s broad duty becomes specific, so the difference between adequate and inadequate care is measured against published minimum standards rather than left to interpretation.