Animal Welfare Legislation Bill (ACT)

The Greens will table a bill today which addresses unregulated and inhumane breeding and selling of cats and dogs in the ACT.

“We have to act to reduce the abandonment, suffering and euthanizing of thousands of animals in Canberra every year,” Greens TAMS spokesperson, Caroline Le Couteur MLA, said today.

Tragically, the TAMS Domestic Animal Service euthanised 210 dogs in 2010/11, and the RSPCA was also forced to euthanise 105 dogs and 825 cats.

“For two years now we’ve waited for the Government to act on an undertaking they made to introduce a Code of Practice to address the issue.

“Meanwhile other jurisdictions have moved to address these exact problems. The Victorian and Queensland Governments have both moved to regulate puppy breeding. There was a long time when the ACT was leading the country in animal welfare standards, but this is no longer the case.

“Through our consultation process, the Greens received a huge amount of support for this Bill, including from the animal welfare community and the general public.

The Greens’ Bill includes:
• Licensing of cat and dog breeders, and mandatory standards for breeding operations
• Desexing of appropriately aged pets at point of sale
• Strengthened animal cruelty laws
• A new system of microchip traceability to ensure breeders are known
• Regulation of the advertising of animals for sale
• Limiting cat and dog sales to licensed and regulated sellers.

“I think that Canberrans buying a pet will welcome the assurance that the animal has not been inhumanly bred or mistreated prior to sale.

“The Greens have consistently pushed for these animal welfare reforms. There is no reason that dog loving MLAs shouldn’t support this pro-puppy bill,” Ms Le Couteur said.