When animal law is not done properly, everybody loses. Businesses and communities falter, the lives of people are turned upside down, and animals are needlessly seized, suffer or destroyed

Anyone familiar with the different stakeholders who have vested interests in animals knows that the human-animal world contains a lot of good wholesome heart-warming stuff - but it’s certainly not all warm fuzzies, holding hands and kumbaya smiles. The realities of animal-related politics, business needs, practicalities, egos, finances, individual-national-global sized issues, all amidst a raft of conflicting worldviews, create a complex web of stakeholders, conflicting agendas and legal landmines where a loss of money is just one of the consequences for getting it wrong.

In my previous career as a veterinarian, I advised people how to look after their animals and their animal businesses so that the animals, their owners, and their communities, were safe and happy. I now fulfil a similar role as a specialist animal law lawyer.

My entire career has been immersed in providing professional, pragmatic and effective solutions on animal-related issues.

• I have been the industry veterinarian working on the chain in the Affco freezing works, and the clinical veterinarian advising on every manner of species kept, farmed and produced within New Zealand.
• I added a law degree with the specific intent of working as an animal law specialist.
• My "style" combines the veterinary insights about the animals and varied owner interests, with many years of frontline animal law experience, to identify pragmatic solutions that are often overlooked.

I've worked as a prosecutor for the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand, and as the State-wide Specialist in Australia. After a decade working in animal law enforcement I established Guardianz Animal Law.

• The previous prosecution and enforcement roles successfully prosecuting a multitude of animal-related matters involved, for example, issues of animal transport, biosecurity breaches, and corporate farming operations (e.g. remember the media around Mr Crafer and Milkpride?) - those roles provide critical pragmatic insights that now serve clients of Guardianz Animal Law.
• As a defence lawyer the roles have been equally diverse and successful dealing with a range of national animal welfare, food safety and animal products cases.
• Internationally, my roles include advising governments, representing multinational corporates in international forums, and working internationally as the key legal advisor on animal welfare matters involving judicial review of government.

Why did I become a defence lawyer? Irrespective of the circumstances, the client, or the animals involved, everyone deserves a fair hearing and they're more likely to get that with someone who knows how prosecution works, how it’s supposed to work, and how to fit real-world practicalities of the animal world alongside the paper animal law. For example:

• There are times when people fall short of fulfilling their responsibilities involving an animal - but sometimes they need help, not a hammer.
• Additionally, enforcement has a job to do and having worked as a prosecutor I know it's not always easy, but in my mind "deterrence" and state-sized powers should never be used simply to put numbers on the middle management's monthly report sheet.
• I understand a job well done and fair outcomes – I’m “less of a fan” of processes and agendas that overlook or wilfully ignore pragmatic resolution alternatives or forget that the numbers on the page are people.

Bottom line, I care about the people and animals, so my professional roles have never been just a job to me -  and I like that bit where you stand back with an owner or colleague and both agree “that was the right decision, and that’s the best outcome”.

Thank you for reading this far. I trust that by this point you've got a reasonable idea of why I chose the name "guardian" for my law practice, and to describe what I do :) Be safe, be well, Ian

​​​​'Guardianz' is made up of myself and a team of independent and collaborating lawyers and experts who share those same values and commitment to putting their skills, capabilities and insights to look after you.

My role in that equation is to put a specialists eye over your situation and the file that MPI has on you. One of the lawyers I work with put it this way: 'it's those small, often overlooked but pivotal details that you see which routinely end up making a huge difference for the client'.

Our philosophy is to help you navigate the labyrinth of rules, regulations, and the all-too-common trip-ups, traps, and pitfalls in a way that is safe, smart, and cost-effective.

As the Principal of Guardianz, I personally assess the emails, requests, and files that come to us. After that review, I draw on decades of veterinary-legal experience, insights, and networks to identify the right people, your options, and the smartest next step forward that best fits you.

​As many people attest from their own experience, choosing the right team from the start is often the most critical step in achieving the best outcome. So ​I work alongside lawyers and experts to tailor solutions to your specific situation, considering multiple factors such as your location, the circumstances, and the nature of the problem you're facing.

​​​We place a strong emphasis on communication and understanding of the law to ideally resolve concerns as quickly as possible and avoid the need to go to court.​

However, if circumstances require courtroom representation, we have the resources, know-who and know-how to put together a team of lawyers and experts to provide you with strong, smart, and determined representation when needed.

We have found that the combination of specialist + instructing lawyer + identified specialists is a proven formula that routinely gets better results. We can tell you more about that if and when we end up looking after you. For the meantime though, here are a couple of our favourite results :

• Guardianz Animal Law and its associates have a record of success in animal welfare that includes the Judge's opening remarks to our client being "You're the kind of farmer New Zealand needs more of". It all went very well for our client from thereon with the client leaving the court without paying a dollar as a penalty.
• Our work and understanding of the food safety area resulted in our food company client avoiding potential fines of $750,000. After disentangling the complex web of food safety law and explaining what really happened to the Judge, our client paid just $10,000 for what we identified to the Court as simply an administrative oversight.
• Advocacy, litigation and input to lobbying activities for one of our multinational clients resulted in the corporate client protecting its trade market access and position for years, representing profits to its industry valued in the many millions annually.

What are the pivotal points to getting you the outcome you're looking for?  Click the 'contact us' button below, and let's see.

Sentient Animal Law Foundation

Our commitment to the ongoing development of animal law means Guardianz Animal Law provides financial and professional support to the Sentient Animal Law Foundation.

Many stakeholders in the animal industry are aware of the shift to positive animal welfare standards that reflects the contemporary science of the Five Domains.

The Sentient Animal Law Foundation has identified 'how' to use law to elevate standards of animal welfare one entire jurisdiction at a time by turning the scientific concept of "positive animal welfare" into"the law".

Essentially, the law reform advocated by the Sentient Animal Law Foundation retains people's responsibility not to be cruel to animals and extend that duty by requiring people to provide animals in their care with opportunities to experience positive states such as comfort, interest and pleasure.

With the key input of the Foundation, the reform moved from theory to reality in 2019 when Australia's ACT enacted the concept of positive animal welfare law in its animal law reform. Further successes have followed.

The Principal of Guardianz Animal Law is a Director and Founder of the Sentient Animal Law Foundation, and you can view the proposed reform at www.sentientanimallaw.org