Are there legal responsibilities and liabilities attached to what you feed your dog? Yes.
Feeding your dog might seem like a personal choice, but there are indeed legal responsibilities attached to it.
What you feed your dog is a big deal—both for your dog’s health and financially for everyone involved. For example, you may be one of those who have wondered whether there are laws about feeding raw vs. processed food, relied on the label on the dog food packaging, or questioned why the nutritional advice you’ve received and paid for, isn’t producing the expected results.
Under New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Act 1999, “The owner of an animal, and every person in charge of an animal, MUST ensure that the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the animal are met.” That includes a legal obligation to provide “proper and sufficient” food. You’ll notice that the responsibility isn’t just to provide enough food (‘sufficient’) but to ensure it is also the right type and quality (‘proper’).
Food responsibilities apply not just to pet owners, but also to breeders, veterinarians, and animal food manufacturers, who have a range of legal obligations and potential liabilities particularly if they produce, recommend or mandate specific diets.