Check you have the right agency
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) only handles some types of animal welfare complaints.
Contact the SPCA for concerns about all companion animals, such as dogs, cats, or animals kept as companions or pets, such as chickens and horses.
Contact your local council, for concerns about dogs barking, wandering dogs, or stock on the road.
Your privacy when lodging a report to MPI
There are 2 ways to lodge a report to MPI.
- Using this online complaint form: You will need to provide your contact details. This is a compulsory field, to ensure we can make further contact with you if we require additional information, such as address details or stock numbers. This additional detail will ensure we can respond efficiently to your animal welfare concerns. We may pass this information on to other agencies to investigate (such as the SPCA or a local council).
- By freephone: Anonymous complaints can be made by calling 0800 00 83 33 (then selecting option 2) for animal welfare. From there you will speak to our contact centre and they will obtain all the necessary detail from you to ensure an appropriate response to your animal welfare concerns.
