A proposed cat-killing competition for children in North Canterbury has been pulled after it was slammed by an animal rights organisation.
The annual North Canterbury Hunting Competition had a new junior category for those under 14 which rewarded the hunter who has killed the most feral cats.
However, the feral cats section of the competition has since been cancelled due to backlash over fears someone's pet could die.
The North Canterbury Hunting Competition raises money for Rotherham School and pool.
In a now-deleted social media post on its Facebook page, participants were told to familiarise themselves with the difference between non-feral and feral cats, Stuff reported, as they would be disqualified if a microchipped cat was found in their collection.
The post linked a Department of Conservation (DoC) website on feral cats but that page noted feral cats can have the same appearance as some common house cats.
DoC principal scientist Craig Gillies said in a statement to Newshub earlier on Tuesday the DoC webpage on feral cats is not a guide and should not be used in such a way. Gillies said it's the competition organisers' duty to mitigate the risk of a domestic cat being hunted as part of this activity - not DoC or any other agency.
"Feral and domesticated cats are the same species. Determining a difference between the two is virtually impossible," Gillies said.
"Obviously, well-groomed long-haired purebred cats of the sort seen in cat shows are relatively easy to identify at a glance and are less likely to be feral than a short-haired specimen."
Animal rights charity SAFE called for the organisers to cancel the category from its annual fundraiser.
"There are numerous ways to raise money for Rotherham School and Pool, and sending children off to kill cats shouldn't be one of them," SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe said in a statement.
Appelbe cited the competition's rule that if a microchipped cat is killed the hunter will be disqualified from the competition, however, Appelbe noted a microchip can only be discovered after the cat has been killed.
"Disqualifying dead cats with microchips is too little too late. It's not even an ambulance, but a grave at the bottom of the cliff," Appelbe said.
SPCA Canterbury also said it is "extremely concerned" about the competition.
The SPCA said in a statement children often use air rifles in these sorts of event which increase the likelihood of pain and distress, and can cause a prolonged death.
"SPCA Inspector Lead here in Christchurch says cases of cats being shot which don’t result in immediate death aren’t uncommon, with one happening just yesterday, 17 April," the statement said.
"SPCA advocates that, instead of organised killing events, education around humane and compassionate practices can better prepare young people to appreciate and protect the biological heritage of New Zealand."
Organisers cancel the competition
The North Canterbury Hunting Competition has since cancelled the feral cat section after receiving backlash.
"We received concerns around this category when it opened on 14 April 2023," the competition posted on Facebook.
"Unfortunately, there have been some vile and inappropriate emails and messages sent to the school and others involved - we are incredibly disappointed in this reaction and would like to clarify that this competition is an independent community-run event.
"Our sponsors and school safety are our main priority, so the decision has been made to withdraw this category for this year to avoid further backlash at this time.
"We are disappointed and apologise for those who were excited to be involved in something that is about protecting our native birds, and other vulnerable species."
They added hunters are required to abide by the Firearms Act as well as the Animal Welfare Act.
"Please remember we are a group of volunteers who are trying to raise money for our local school and pool. This fundraising effort is critical in aiding the local school to employ a board-funded third teacher and gives our local community and kids greater opportunities."
