Miscellaneous Articles

Thank you to everyone who entered the ‘Protect the Ocean’ colouring competition.

We were blown away by the talent shown in this competition and choosing a winner certainly wasn’t easy. It is wonderful to see so many kind kids who are passionate about keeping the oceans clean and safe for octopuses and all others who live there.

Congratulations to our winners and to all those who entered!

Our six winners, who will receive a prize pack each, are:

Lily, age 6	Scott, age 7
Ethan, age 9	Xavier, age 9
Amaya, age 11	Ingrid, age 11

Wonderful work!

Want to see what our winners got sent? Check out the Protect the Ocean prize pack!

If you would like to know about future colouring competitions, sign-up to SAFE Animal Squad to get the latest news. SAFE Animal Squad membership is free. Members receive our latest Animal Bites newsletters, our Animal Activist Handbook and Animal Squad news.

SAFE Animal Squad has just released its newest Animal Bites newsletter! This newsletter is all about octopuses. If you are a member you should be receiving your copy in the post shortly.

Learn heaps of facts about octopuses and how we can help to make their ocean home clean and safe. You can also see what some of our incredible members have been up to.

If you would like to receive this newsletter and you are not a member you can sign up here. Membership is 100% free!

Our latest colouring competition is out, too!

Download your copy here!

Send your entries to:

SAFE Animal Squad, PO Box 13366, City East, Christchurch 8141, by Friday, 24th October.

The competition is open to those aged 5 to 7, 8 to 10 and 11 to 14.

Winning entries will be displayed on the SAFE Animal Squad website from the 31st of October.

We all know that the best way to show we care about animals is by not eating them but did you know that the farming of animals has a huge impact on New Zealand’s natural environment, too? 

Did you know?

• The greenhouse gasses produced by raising animals to eat is more than any other source, including the exhaust of all transportation in the world.
• One cow produces as much waste as 14 people. There are over 10 million cattle in New Zealand alone.
• It takes one thousand litres of water to produce 1 litre of milk – that’s like spending 20 minutes in the shower every time you have a glass of milk!

So, we are asking Animal Squad members to take action during the next School Strike 4 Climate Action. We need to let the Government know that we care about animals and the environment and declare a climate emergency.

When: Friday 27th September

Where: Find a strike near you 

Get ready

• Get together with your friends and family and make some signs or banners that show how you feel about the link between animal agriculture and climate change. A brightly coloured placard with a strong slogan will stand out.
• If you plan on attending an event, make sure you check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Even if it looks like it will be a nice day, it’s a good idea to take a spare jacket and don’t forget your hat and sunscreen!

On the day

Check out the map to find where your nearest strike is being held. 

Note: it is really important to get permission from your parent or caregiver! If you do decide to attend, you must have an adult with you.

Can’t go to the strike?

It would be a shame to let those signs and banners go to waste! Even if you don’t have a strike near you or you can’t get permission, there are still heaps of things you can do to show you care about climate change:

• Organise a lunchtime strike – bring your signs to school and hold a strike during your lunchtime break. Make sure you let your teacher and classmates know well in advance so they can join you. You may even want to organise a school-wide demonstration.
• Climate change strike at home – Organise your own march at home. Make a plan with your family to, perhaps after school, walk around the block or stand outside your house with your signs for your whole neighbourhood to see. 

As always, we would love to see what you get up to. Send us your photos or videos here.

August 1, 2019 | Submitted by SAFE

Thank you to everyone who entered the latest colouring competition.

We considered each of your entries carefully. As always there were some wonderful entries and it was really hard to pick just six winning entries.

Aria (12)	Ani (12)
Bella (10)	April (9)
Sienna (7)	Asha (7)

Congratulations to our winners and to all those who entered!

Want to see what our winners got sent? Check out the Mouse Paradise prize pack!

Wow, looks like some amazing vegan goodies. Winners, we hope you enjoy!

If you would like to know about future colouring competitions, sign-up to SAFE Animal Squad to get the latest news. SAFE Animal Squad membership is free. Members receive our latest Animal Bites newsletters, our Animal Activist Handbook and Animal Squad news.

Please note that we change what’s in the prize packs each competition.

Friday, June 14 was International Awareness Day to Stop Live Transport, the perfect day to launch our petition to End Live Transport and hold a rally outside Parliament. Kind Kiwis travelled from near and far to attend. Animal Squad’s very own Lillian and Zara, age 12, voiced their thoughts on the matter:

Awesome work, Zara and Lillian. Thanks for showing the world that you’re never too young to make a difference.

What is live export?

New Zealand sells a lot of different products to overseas countries (for example kiwifruit, apples and wood). Live export is the sale of living animals overseas. These animals are usually sent on huge ships. Over 17,000 cattle were exported in 2018 to countries including Sri Lanka.

While on the ship, the cattle are kept in crowded pens. The waves can make them seasick and they must eat dry pellets instead of the tasty grass they love. The journey is very frightening for them.

To make the situation worse, many of the countries we export to don’t have the same animal welfare standards we have here. This means the suffering is likely to continue once they arrive. SAFE is campaigning to ban live exports so animals don’t have to suffer on these journeys.

How can I help to end live export in New Zealand?

Just like Zara and Lillian, you can help to end this horrible practice. You can sign the petition here.

Let your friends and family know, too. The more signatures we get, the more powerful the message.

Thank you to Zara and Lillian for your inspiring words and thank you to everyone who has already signed the petition to help ban live exports from New Zealand.

SAFE Animal Squad has just released its newest Animal Bites newsletter! This time it’s all about mice. If you are a member you should be receiving your copy in the post shortly.

Learn heaps of facts about mice and how we should show kindness to even the smallest of creatures. You can also see what some of our busy members have been up to.

If you would like to receive this newsletter and you are not a member you can sign up here. Membership is 100{dd4541f50f93f46e6c174aa231d104f4ab66489211f75a13b5a124a6061dd1c8} free!

Our latest colouring completion is out, too! This one is a little bit different. You will definitely need your creative drawing hat on.

You can win one of six prize packs!

Download your copy here!

Send your entries to:

PO Box 13366, City East, Christchurch 8141, by Friday, 25 July.

The competition is open to 5-7, 8-10 and 11-14-year-olds.

Winning entries will be displayed on the Animal Squad website from 1 August.

Thanks to everyone who entered the latest colouring competition.

We considered each of your entries carefully. As always there were some wonderful entries and it was really hard to pick just six winning entries.

A big congratulations to our winners and to all those who entered!

Our six winners, who will receive a prize pack each, are:

Maisy, age 6	Oliver, age 7
Freya, age 9	Indy, age 10
Shyla, age 12	Eva, age 11

Winners, your prize packs will be in the mail shortly. Keep an eye out for an email from us to confirm your details. We hope you enjoy your goodies!

If you would like to know about future colouring competitions, sign-up to SAFE Animal Squad to get the latest news. SAFE Animal Squad membership is free. Members receive our latest Animal Bites newsletters, our Animal Activist Handbook and Animal Squad news.

SAFE Animal Squad has now released its 15^th edition of the Animal Bites newsletter. This issue is about the wonderful world of pigs! It is perfect for reading over the school holidays. Pigs are amazing. We take a look at some issues that pigs face and how you can help make a difference for pigs.

Looking for the smashed chickpea recipe? Check it out here.

If you are a member you should be receiving your copy in the post shortly. If you would like to receive this newsletter and you are not a member you can sign up here. Membership is 100% free!

Our latest colouring completion is all about pigs, too!

You can win one of six prize packs!

Download your copy here

Send your entries to:

PO Box 13366, Armagh, Christchurch 8141, by Friday, 26th April.

The competition is open to 5-7, 8-10 and 11-14-year-olds.

Winning entries will be displayed on the Animal Squad website from 9th May.

Looking for a good read? We’ve got you covered with five wonderful books – just perfect for animal lovers.

Charlotte’s Web – E. B. White

Born on a farm, Wilbur the pig soon learns that he is destined for the farmer’s dinner plate! His good friends Charlotte the spider, Templeton the rat and Fern the farmer’s daughter are determined to save him from this grim fate. Charlotte’s Web is a popular children’s classic that celebrates friendship, love, life and even death.

Sky – Ondine Sherman

Sky moves in with her aunt and uncle after the passing of her mother. Being vegan isn’t easy in a rural town and that’s not all Sky has on her plate. After witnessing a case of animal cruelty, she needs to make some tough choices. Will Sky risk everything to stand up for what she believes in?

Black Beauty – Anna Sewell

For horse lovers everywhere, this wonderful classic is about Black Beauty and his life with different human companions. Some treat him nicely while others treat him very badly. He tells us about being a working horse in the late 1800s and his dreams of living in a paddock with plenty of grass.

Amanda the Teen Activist – Catherine Kelaher

Can one girl save the lives of hundreds of hens? Amanda discovers a factory farm on her school’s doorstep. Once she realises what a terrible life these chickens have, Amanda vows to save them. This book looks at what difference a 13-year-old activist can really make.

The Magic Finger – Roald Dahl

The Magic Finger is about a girl with some troublesome neighbours. You see, the neighbours like to hunt and the girl doesn’t like that. She thinks it’s wrong for people to hunt animals for fun and when she gets angry, her magic finger takes over. She turns them all into birds!

So, what did you think? Would you recommend one of these books or did your favourite story about animals not make the list? Tell us all about it here.

On factory farms, a mother pig (sow) is kept in a farrowing crate. It is only just bigger her body. She cannot turn around – she can only lie down and stand up. Around each crate is an area for her piglets, but the sow cannot build a nest which she has a strong desire to do.

A sow stays in this crate for five weeks after her piglets are born. Her babies are then taken away from her. She is forced to have more babies, and she is forced into this tiny crate over and over again. These conditions lead to boredom and distress. This is no way to treat a mother.

But there is hope. You can help bring an end to this cruelty.

New Zealanders up and down the country signed their name to end farrowing crates. In 2018 SAFE handed Parliament the largest petition submitted in five years – over 110,000 signatures. The submission is currently being reviewed.

SAFE is calling on all of its Animal Squad members to send a letter or artwork to our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern asking for a ban on farrowing crates.

Let her know why you think farrowing crates are cruel and why they should be banned.

We have created a printable action sheet for you to use with all the details you will need.

Farrowing Crate Action Sheet

Of course, we would love to see what you create. Email us and your creation could be featured in the next newsletter or blog!

P.S. Meet our friend, Dot the rescue pig:

Back in the winter of 2018, members of the SAFE Animal Squad and other keen kids took to the beach as part of the Christchurch’s KidsFest to clean up rubbish for animals.

Twenty-five kids came down to help clean the beach, with many bringing parents and guardians along.

This small crowd cleaned up near the pier – a busy and litter-filled part of New Brighton beach.

Each year more than seven million tons of rubbish makes its way into the sea. Marine animals such as fish, dolphins, whales, turtles, crustaceans and sea birds are affected by this rubbish.

Many animals get stuck or tangled in plastic or old fishing line and, if unable to move properly, will starve. Floating trash, such as bits of fireworks and cigarette butts, can be mistaken for food and eaten by marine animals, causing internal problems.

It’s not just boat and ships responsible for this mess – around 80{dd4541f50f93f46e6c174aa231d104f4ab66489211f75a13b5a124a6061dd1c8} of this rubbish comes from cities and towns. The rubbish and waste also pollutes and destroys ecosystems.

Summer is the perfect time to clean up the beach. Not only is the weather warmer but there are more people visiting the beach, meaning a higher chance of rubbish being left behind!

If you want to complete your own beach clean-up and help marine animals, look in your community notices for a group already doing one, or use our Beach Clean-up Guide and Animals and Rubbish resources to do your own beach clean-up with family and friends.

Not near a beach? No problem. Your local park, forest, lake or river may be in need of a clean-up.

Even if you don’t want to organise a beach clean-up, you can always make it part of a beach walk or picnic. When you are visiting the beach or any public space, make sure you take any rubbish from the beach and dispose of it correctly – either by taking it home or finding a rubbish bin.

Our beaches and oceans should be clean and safe for everybody to enjoy, especially those who live there!

Keep a look out for the SAFE Animal Squad annual beach clean-up as part of the 2019 KidsFest in July. We look forward to seeing you there!

Beach Clean-up guide

Animals & Rubbish Resource

Season’s Greetings!

What does Christmas mean to you? For me, it means spending time with loved ones and sharing a delicious meal. Christmas is also a great time to help end the suffering of animals such as chickens bred for meat. But how can you make a difference?

Unfortunately, the chickens we raise to eat don’t get happy lives. They live in large dark sheds with thousands of other birds. It gets really loud and stinky. Many chickens die in these conditions. An average chicken can live up to 6 years. These chickens are sent to be slaughtered at around 6 weeks old. They are still only chicks.

Just like us, chickens can have strong family bonds. They care for and look after one another. They have personalities and can feel pain or distress. It’s sad that so many of them get eaten at Christmas time. If you are going to have a chicken for dinner, make sure you give them a good seat at the table!

What’s your Christmas wish? If you’re like me, you probably want a better world for chickens and all animals. I’m so excited that kids like you are wanting to live in a kinder world. Here are a couple of ways to make your wish come true:

Plan ahead: talk to a parent or guardian before the holiday. Let them know that having a vegan option is really important to you. We have some yummy recipes here for a cruelty-free Christmas.

Get baking: These gingerbread cookies are the perfect Christmas gift or dessert. You can spread the cruelty-free love and show others how delicious vegan baking can be!

So, give the gift of life this holiday season. Spread the love to those who cannot speak for themselves.

Share your kind Christmas with us at [email protected].

Merry Christmas from SAFE Animal Squad!

P.S. Meet rescue chicken Pounamu, who will be spending Christmas with her chicken friends: