Why I wish NZ had an independent commissioner for animals
Thursday, 27 October 2022
Gabby Clezy is the newly appointed chief executive of the SPCA. A pharmacist by trade, Clezy has also worked in education and social housing.
Her two children – Maria, a tax lawyer, and Sam, an engineer - live in the UK. Clezy shares her Auckland home with Parker, a 9-year-old miniature schnauzer/westie.
I wish, 10 years ago, I’d known…
To start doing pilates. I’ve always done a lot of yoga, encouraged by my sister who is a yoga teacher in Italy and my daughter who has practised yoga for ages.
I’m a great fan of exercise but I wish I’d known just how good I would feel after a pilates class and got into it earlier. It’s the same with paddle boarding, which I’ve recently started doing – a morning paddle as the sun rises is a great way to start the day.
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I wish I could swap lives with…
My dog Parker. He has a loving family and enjoys walks and cuddles every day. Parker comes to the office with me where he has lots of doggy friends (naturally, ours is a dog-friendly zone). He actually has a pretty good life.
I wish, every day, I could eat…
More fruit and vegetables. I’ve always been good about getting my five a day, but like most people, probably could do better. I dabbled with vegetarianism during lockdown when I had the time to experiment and now try to stick to a mainly vegetarian diet.
It’s still a learning curve, though, in terms of making great tasting dishes that are easy to cook. So far I’ve mastered ratatouille and a highly addictive butternut squash and lentil lasagne, which is all down to Nadia Lim and her Vegful cookbook. I’m probably not understating it when I say that Nadia has changed my taste buds and approach to cooking.
I wish I could live in…
A large villa in Tuscany. Obviously I’d be surrounded by my family. I’m very keen on multi-generational living although I’m not sure my children are quite so enthusiastic.
The person I wish was on a banknote is…
Can I go off-piste a little and nominate a dog instead of a person? Or any companion animal, really. Because companion animals play such an important role in our communities, with some studies suggesting they have a hugely positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing.
I know I always feel much happier after I’ve taken Parker for a walk or spent time with our SPCA animals. We have so many amazing furry and feathered friends at our shelters who need our support.
The sound I wish I would never hear again is…
The noise of soil being compacted. It might sound a bit odd but when I arrived home from hospital after having my first child, property developers had started developing the land across the street from where we lived.
All day long there was the thudding of impactors destroying what had been a beautiful field. The noise got so bad I moved to my parents’ home for a week or two. It was a horribly jarring element in what otherwise was a lovely time in our lives.
I wish New Zealand was more…
Of a world leader in animal welfare. We really need an independent commissioner for animals to ensure effective oversight of the animal welfare system in New Zealand.
It would work in a similar way as the commissioner for the environment and the commissioner for children do, by monitoring, assessing and reporting on the animal welfare system, advocating for issues that affect animals and advancing the interests of all animals.
I know that New Zealanders want to prevent animal cruelty and to protect animals and having a commissioner for animals could help to do that. I’m always reminded of the Gandhi quote, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” That’s my wish.
Gabby’s Quick Shots
Dog or Cat
Zoo or Safari
Carnivore or Vegetarian
Heels or Flats
Drive or Walk
Sweater or Cardigan
Binge Watch or One at a Time
Orange Juice or Pineapple Juice
Podcast or E-book
Karaoke or Dance Floor
Beer or Wine
Urban or Rural
Winter or Summer