Industry/Sector Reports

National Dog Bite Prevention Week | New Zealand | 2026 Dogs are part of our NZ Society New Zealanders have a warm and enduring relationship with dogs. Around 830,000 dogs live with New Zealand families, roughly one dog for every nine people, and 31 per cent of all households include at least one. Dogs are not only valued pets, they have long been central to our rural identity, with working breeds such as Huntaways and Heading dogs making up nearly 12 per cent of all registere

Dog bite injuries represent a significant and growing public health burden in New Zealand. Unlike most comparable countries, New Zealand's ACC system captures claims across the full spectrum of injury severity, from minor lacerations treated in primary care through to serious injuries requiring surgery. This breadth makes ACC data a uniquely comprehensive source of information on the frequency and distribution of dog bites, but it also means that the data requires careful int

Professor Nat Waran OBE     The equestrian and racing industries face a unique challenge that sets them apart from virtually every other sport: their social licence to operate depends not on athletic achievement or entertainment value alone, but on public perception of how they treat the animals who are central to it all.  And increasingly, that perception is becoming more critical, more sceptical, and potentially more decisive for the future of these sports. A Social Licence