The Government is cracking down on the prolonged chaining of dogs in New Zealand, with new regulations expected to be finalised by the end of the year. Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said the changes are aimed at improving animal welfare and giving inspectors better tools to step in when dogs are being mistreated.
“I’ve been hearing a lot from members of the public who want to see action taken, and the SPCA tells us that this is one of the issues that they receive daily calls on,” Hoggard said.
“Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them. But these are very important regulations, and we needed to take our time to ensure the best outcomes.”
The new rules will allow animal welfare inspectors from MPI and SPCA to intervene faster when they find dogs being harmed by being chained up for long periods — especially in cases where dogs are kept in unsafe or distressing conditions.
The changes will also introduce special protections for dogs during vulnerable times, such as when they are pregnant, nursing, or younger than six months. There will be practical exceptions for temporary chaining — for example, when training farm dogs or keeping pets safe during home visits from tradespeople.
Inspectors will be able to issue fines in cases of mistreatment, while more serious cases can still lead to prosecution.
SPCA has welcomed the announcement, calling it a “long-fought and hard-won victory” for dogs across the country.
“This is a major milestone in animal welfare advocacy, with the introduction of a new regulation targeting prolonged tethering,” said Dr Alison Vaughan, SPCA’s Scientific Officer.
“These new regulations are the outcome of years of hard work by SPCA’s advocacy team and are only possible because of the support of tens of thousands of New Zealanders. It shows that with persistence and public backing, we can make meaningful changes to protect animals.”
The move follows years of campaigning, including SPCA’s ‘Break the Chain’ initiative in 2022, which drew support from over 20,000 people. In 2023, more than 15,000 New Zealanders co-signed a letter to the Minister calling for stronger protections for chained dogs. SPCA also backed a successful parliamentary petition led by the Chained Dog Awareness Trust.
“These new regulations will, for the first time, provide a clear and enforceable standard. They will allow intervention when dogs are suffering physically, emotionally, or are kept in unsafe conditions due to prolonged chaining,” Vaughan said.
An education period will follow the release of the new rules, giving dog owners time to understand and comply with the new standards. SPCA and MPI will work together to raise awareness and support those who need to make changes.
“We know these changes won’t solve every case overnight, but it’s a step forward, and one that will permit our inspectors to act in situations where they couldn’t before,” said Vaughan. “It also sends a loud message that long-term chaining of dogs is not acceptable in our society.”
SPCA also thanked the thousands of New Zealanders, advocacy groups like Chained Dog Awareness Trust and HUHA, and Minister Hoggard for helping bring the regulations over the line.
“These changes will make a real difference. They give inspectors a new tool — one that could have allowed us to step in sooner, and potentially prevent suffering before it escalated.”
