16 September 2015

New legislation to outlaw puppy and kitten farms

| TAMSMediaRoom
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New animal breeding legislation to outlaw puppy and kitten farms in the ACT was introduced this week.

The female cats and dogs used in puppy and kitten farms are impregnated as often as possible without regard for their health and welfare. They are often deprived of social interaction, exercise and responsible health care for their entire lives.

Under the new legislation, people found responsible for the intensive breeding of female dogs and cats can now be charged up to $15,000 for an individual and $75,000 for a corporation who exploits animals for the pet market.

Breeders will need to adhere to declared minimum standards covering areas such as the age at which a dog or cat can be bred, the number of litters they can have and the frequency with which they can be bred. This will be governed by cat and dog breeding licences which breeders have until 8 January 2016 to obtain.

This new legislation is a positive step forward for animal welfare in our region.

More information, including an application form for a breeding licence is available on the Territory and Municipal Services website.

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Conan of Cooma9:43 am 21 Sep 15

Alexandra Craig said :

gooterz said :

What if you order online? does it apply to the destination or the source?

As far as I am aware, the legislation only applies to the source. However, there is separate legislation that dogs must be microchipped and desexed by a certain age which is the responsibility of the owner.

There does need to be penalties in place for people that seek the wrong method of buying a new animal. I don’t think it will happen, though.

Alexandra Craig10:46 pm 20 Sep 15

gooterz said :

What if you order online? does it apply to the destination or the source?

As far as I am aware, the legislation only applies to the source. However, there is separate legislation that dogs must be microchipped and desexed by a certain age which is the responsibility of the owner.

gooterz said :

What if you order online? does it apply to the destination or the source?

And the kitten or puppy arrive in a padded bag with your other purchases!!! Care of Australia Post!?

What if you order online? does it apply to the destination or the source?

Alexandra Craig9:22 am 18 Sep 15

JimCharles said :

rubaiyat said :

It is not just the awful exploitation and miserable conditions of the poor animals kept in the puppy and kitten farms, it is the unhealthy animals it produces. Many to live out miserable lives at the whim of their “animal lover” owners, until they get bored with their “purchase” (like their last iPhone) and they dump them by the side of the road or on the RSPCA.

The cottage industry breeders are for the most part just in it for the largely tax-free dollars and don’t give a toss for the animals in their care. If they were not doing this they’d be doing something even less ethical and legal, if they aren’t doing it already as part of their diversified portfolio.

I asked somebody about this recently and was told there were no rules over here, so this is good news.
Some horrendous stories in the UK and people buying pets from commercial breeding farms, leading to sickly animals, constant illness, little diversity in the genetics, skin and organ conditions, and very short (but expensive) livespans. A mate had two boxer dogs and they both died at 2 from liver failure, another got a Yorkie from a farm in the Welsh valleys, all it’s hair fell out and the vet said it was one of the most sickly bred animals he’d ever seen.
The reality uncovered at these places was very different from the advertising blurb of puppies rolling happily in the grass, the equivalent of battery farming chooks as quickly as possible. Puts me off buying anything until there’s a bit more confidence in the regulated origin and method of breeding.

It’s just terrible. It makes me feel sick to think about all the poor animals that have suffered through the hands of greedy breeders.

Puppy farms and backyard breeders are not only responsible for the suffering of their own animals, but the suffering of animals in the pound. I wish all of Australia would tighten up the rules around puppy farming and backyard breeding and actually enforce it. Then we might start to see a drop in the number of animals euthanased each year.

rubaiyat said :

It is not just the awful exploitation and miserable conditions of the poor animals kept in the puppy and kitten farms, it is the unhealthy animals it produces. Many to live out miserable lives at the whim of their “animal lover” owners, until they get bored with their “purchase” (like their last iPhone) and they dump them by the side of the road or on the RSPCA.

The cottage industry breeders are for the most part just in it for the largely tax-free dollars and don’t give a toss for the animals in their care. If they were not doing this they’d be doing something even less ethical and legal, if they aren’t doing it already as part of their diversified portfolio.

I asked somebody about this recently and was told there were no rules over here, so this is good news.
Some horrendous stories in the UK and people buying pets from commercial breeding farms, leading to sickly animals, constant illness, little diversity in the genetics, skin and organ conditions, and very short (but expensive) livespans. A mate had two boxer dogs and they both died at 2 from liver failure, another got a Yorkie from a farm in the Welsh valleys, all it’s hair fell out and the vet said it was one of the most sickly bred animals he’d ever seen.
The reality uncovered at these places was very different from the advertising blurb of puppies rolling happily in the grass, the equivalent of battery farming chooks as quickly as possible. Puts me off buying anything until there’s a bit more confidence in the regulated origin and method of breeding.

It is not just the awful exploitation and miserable conditions of the poor animals kept in the puppy and kitten farms, it is the unhealthy animals it produces. Many to live out miserable lives at the whim of their “animal lover” owners, until they get bored with their “purchase” (like their last iPhone) and they dump them by the side of the road or on the RSPCA.

The cottage industry breeders are for the most part just in it for the largely tax-free dollars and don’t give a toss for the animals in their care. If they were not doing this they’d be doing something even less ethical and legal, if they aren’t doing it already as part of their diversified portfolio.

This is such welcome news. TAMS media room is this actually going to be policed and enforced? There are so so many people selling cats and dogs on Facebook (many for profit). How will you stop this?

Alexandra Craig11:30 am 16 Sep 15

This is fantastic news. Too many animals suffer because of intensive breeding and we already have tens of thousands of animals put to sleep each year because there’s not enough homes for them.

I hope that TAMS will be pro-active about this though and start closely monitoring online pet sale pages (Facebook, gumtree etc) and crack down on people. The amount of kittens I see on there flogged off for $50 each, and the amount of people selling cross breed puppies with no vet work for $800 is absolutely ridiculous.

I know of one local council who actually has people who monitor these pages and pose as potential buyers, turn up, whack a fine down and seize the animals. I would very much like to see this put in place in Canberra.

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