A children’s cat-hunting contest in New Zealand, organized to protect native species, has been canceled due to public backlash and concerns from animal rights groups. The competition was supposed to be part of a fundraiser organized by the North Canterbury Hunting Competition for the Rotherham School.
The event would have included a new junior category for children under 14 to hunt feral cats for a top prize of $150. However, organizers withdrew the competition after receiving “vile and inappropriate emails and messages.”
While feral cats are a major concern for authorities in Australia, threatening the survival of more than 100 native species, New Zealanders’ beloved pets, the contest faced significant criticism.
The New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals expressed relief that the cat-killing contest had been removed, citing the likelihood of pets being killed, pain, and distress.
The contest’s organizers maintained that the tournament was about “protecting native birds and other vulnerable species.”
