SPCA wants rehab programme for animal abusers as NZ's worst cases revealed

The SPCA is calling on the change today as it released its annual List of Shame, outlining New Zealand’s worst animal abuses cases over the past year.

The Government is being urged to provide rehabilitation for those who abuse animals.

The SPCA List of Shame has been released today, highlighting the worst cases of animal abuse over the past year.

There were 15,000 complaints made to the organisation in that period.

It's released images of abuse including malnourished dogs, cats with matted fur full of fleas, and of a duck being burnt by fireworks.

SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgens told 1 NEWS New Zealanders need to wake up and realise this is not OK.

She said she was pleased to see "we're getting more judgements of disqualifications of animals".

Midgens said these people don't have the skills, experience or behaviours to be able to be in charge of animals.

The SPCA is now encouraging the Government to introduce rehabilitation programmes for offenders.

"I would love to see a programme where people can be rehabilitated … think like alcoholics anonymous or drunk driving, defensive driving training," Midgens said.

"We definitely try to educate people because often it's just ignorance or learned behaviours and people are willing to change once they realise it's not OK to do what they've been doing."

Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri said she's keen to hear more about a potential programme for animal abusers.

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