June Speaker - Terri Walsh
Our 10 Minute Speaker in June was Terri Walsh. During the 1970s, as a member of SAFE, (Save
Animals From Exploitation) Terri fought for the rights of animals, which to that point hadn't had
much of a voice.
Her first protest in New Zealand was in Queen Street and involved circus animals which were kept
caged for the time they spent in circuses. There were only a few protesters and access to the
media wasn't easy. Overseas publicity got into the papers here, more people became aware and
joined the organisation. NZ media started to turn up and report on protests, helping to spread
information about how animals were being treated. In New Zealand, while the weather was not
harsh, intensive farming had begun and burgeoning-battery hens, and pigs were being
caged, sometimes in pens in which they couldn't turn round.
Terri got permission to go into a slaughter-house in the 1980's, a move which stopped live animal
exports for a while. After the circus protests, she had a call telling her that a "hit man" was after her. She reported it to the police but was told that nothing could be done until she had been hit. She was amused. SAFE expanded hugely and people are much more aware of animal rights. Dog racing is banned, but we still have rodeos.
