Veterinarians want the Animal Welfare Act tightened so there is more control over who can carry out surgical procedures on animals.
The Ministry of Agriculture has begun a review of the 12-year-old Act and is also developing the country's first national animal welfare strategy.
The animal welfare co-ordinator for the Veterinary Association says it considers vets should be the only ones allowed to carry out significant surgical procedures, such as de-sexing of companion animals.
Virginia Williams says there are a number of para-professionals working in the animal field doing a wide range of procedures and the association is concerned that they are not regulated.
Dr Williams says vets have a professional obligation and can be complained about and reported to the Veterinary Council and can be "pinged" if they are doing things wrong.
She says better regulation is needed for the people doing a wide range of procedures without any training or accreditation.
Dr Williams says vets also share the view of the SPCA that animal welfare codes should be strengthened to give them more legal clout.
She says the current minimum standards are not enforceable in themselves and can only be used in evidence.
Dr Williams says vets would like to see them given greater legislative weight so that they could tell clients who were not meeting the minimum standards: "This is against the law, if you're going to do this."
