Australia has comprehensive state and territory animal welfare legislation, relatively strong companion animal protection, and a robust animal welfare NGO sector. However, its record on farm animals is more complex, particularly around live export and intensive farming practices.
New Zealand is recognized globally for progressive animal welfare legislation. Its Animal Welfare Act (1999), updated by amendments, is considered among the world's strongest frameworks for recognizing animal sentience and ensuring positive welfare obligations.
New Zealand's dairy industry — among the world's most important export sectors — involves millions of calves separated from mothers at birth, with bobby calves (male calves of dairy breeds) killed within days of birth. This is a significant ongoing welfare concern. Free-range egg labeling standards and enforcement have also been disputed.
Japan has basic animal welfare legislation (Act on Welfare and Management of Animals, last amended 2019) but enforcement is limited and cultural attitudes toward animals are complex — including strong pet culture alongside industrial farming and traditional whaling and dolphin hunting practices.
South Korea has undergone remarkable shifts in animal welfare attitudes and policy over the past decade, particularly regarding companion animals and the dog meat industry.
South Korea enacted a law banning the production and sale of dog meat in 2024, with a three-year transition period — a landmark shift reflecting generational change in Korean attitudes. The dog meat industry had already declined substantially from its peak, and the ban codifies a cultural shift that was already well underway.
Industrial poultry farming — South Korea is a major chicken producer — follows intensive global patterns. Live animal markets remain active. Enforcement of companion animal welfare laws varies by municipality.
Taiwan has emerged as a regional leader in animal welfare, enacting progressive legislation and banning dog and cat meat in 2017 (updated 2021). Taiwan's Animal Protection Act provides relatively strong protections and Taiwan's civil society has been active in pushing for improvements.
Southeast Asia presents significant challenges: large-scale intensive farming, wildlife trade, bear bile farming, and working animal welfare issues, against a backdrop of limited regulatory capacity and enforcement. However, civil society movements are growing across the region.
Pacific Island nations face specific welfare issues including livestock management in tropical conditions, companion animal population management, and seabird and marine wildlife interactions with fishing industries. Resources for welfare infrastructure are extremely limited, and most welfare work is conducted through international organization partnerships.
| Country/Region | Legislative Strength | Enforcement | Key Strengths | Key Gaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong | Moderate-Strong | Companion animals, live sheep export ban | Live cattle export, mulesing |
| New Zealand | Very strong | Moderate-Strong | Sentience recognition, cage-free | Bobby calves, dairy practices |
| Japan | Moderate | Limited | Companion animal culture | Whaling, dolphin hunts, cages |
| South Korea | Moderate-Strong | Moderate | Dog meat ban, rapid progress | Industrial poultry |
| Taiwan | Moderate-Strong | Moderate | Dog/cat meat ban, no-kill policy | Farm animal welfare |
| Southeast Asia | Weak-Moderate | Limited | Growing civil society | Wildlife trade, bear bile, elephants |
Across the Asia-Pacific, younger generations show significantly higher concern for animal welfare than older cohorts. Urban millennials and Gen Z in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and increasingly in Southeast Asia are driving growing veganism, pet welfare advocacy, and opposition to traditional practices perceived as cruel. This generational shift is the most powerful long-term driver of welfare improvement in the region.
Major food service companies and retailers operating in Asia-Pacific markets — including McDonald's, KFC, Marriott, and regional food companies — have adopted cage-free egg commitments and other welfare policies in response to advocacy campaigns. These commitments, when fulfilled, represent meaningful progress in some of the world's largest poultry markets.
The Asia-Pacific encompasses both some of the world's most progressive animal welfare systems and some of its most significant welfare challenges. The region's size, economic diversity, and cultural complexity require differentiated approaches to welfare advocacy. The most significant opportunities lie in leveraging generational attitude changes, building regional civil society capacity, and working through the corporate supply chains that connect Asia-Pacific production to international markets with higher welfare standards.