Animal rights organisation SAFE is calling on competition organisers to cancel the "most feral cats hunted" category of their annual fundraiser for Rotherham School and Community Pool.

Stuff reported this morning that a sponsor has pulled their support from the North Canterbury Hunting Competition in protest of the junior category. Young people can win $250 for killing the most cats, so long as they have no microchip.

However, a microchip can only be discovered after the cat has been killed.

SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe says cats will suffer, and some will inevitably be companion animals.

"It’s bad enough that young people are being taught and encouraged to kill small animals," says Appelbe.

"There is little to no difference in the physical appearance of feral, stray and pet cats. 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."

Hunting competitions that target animals considered pests have drawn criticism from animal welfare advocates in the past. These events attract inexperienced participants, and the race to kill as many animals as possible increases the likelihood of an animal suffering. A rabbit hunt in 2021 killed nearly 12,000 rabbits over easter weekend.

"We should be teaching our tamariki empathy towards animals, not handing them the tools to kill them."

"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."

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