SAVE ANIMALS

The group's purpose is to oppose practices of perceived unnecessary animal exploitation and experimentation. SAFE actively campaigns against current intensive pig and chicken farming practices. SAFE is also opposed to duck shooting, live sheep exports, genetically engineering animals and vivisection on beagles and other animals.
SAFE evolved out of an Auckland branch of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection. This group was renamed Save Animals from Experiments in 1972 and renamed again to SaveAnimals from Exploitation in 1987. The organisation has around two thousand members, is governed by a National Executive Committee and has approximately one thousand volunteers from inside and outside the organisation. There are SAFE offices in Christchurch and Auckland , and a further fifteen branches around the country. As a SAFE is a charity entirely dependent on donations,most activities incorporate collections and there is a SAFE street appeal every year in the weekend before Christmas .
SAFE is affiliated with the New Zealand SPCA , WSPA , Animals Australia , PETA , CIWF and the HSUS . It also has affiliations to animal rescue groups such as Open Rescue .
SAFE is also non-partisan or cross-partisan . SAFE has receivedsupport from Auckland mayor John Banks and Mike King , former politician Tim Barnett , actress Robyn Malcolm and Sue Kedgely from the Green Party . Leading up to the 2008 General Election , SAFE's Animal Welfare Policy Survey 2008 rated the country's political parties' animal welfare policies. SAFE Campaigns Director Hans Kriek declared that"the Green Party was a shining light having by far the best and most comprehensive animal welfare policy of any party in New Zealand". Ratings higher than 0 out of 10 were also given to United Future , the Maori Party and the National Party . This could be construed as an endorsement of the Green Party, or of the National Party above theLabour Party.