Page 2328 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 23 June 2010
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possible disconnect between supply and demand and the changing market environment.
It was recently reported that approximately 200,000 unwanted companion animals are euthanased every year in Australia. I am confident that my Assembly colleagues will agree that this is an unacceptably high number. Fortunately, both the ACT RSPCA and Domestic Animal Services have a policy of not euthanasing animals unless they are too ill, injured or displaying intractable behavioural problems. This means, though, that these organisations can experience periods when their facilities are over-extended, as they were over the Christmas holidays. Right now, for example, the RSPCA is unable to take any surrendered dogs. It has unfortunately had to institute a waiting list. Obviously this situation needs attention.
I am pleased to announce that, after further consultation, I plan to table a discussion paper examining issues involving the breeding and selling of companion animals in the ACT. The discussion paper will consider a range of issues and will invite comment on a range of options to address community concerns. Feedback from this paper will contribute to the development of a mandatory code for the breeding and selling of companion animals in the ACT. This has the potential to be the ACT’s first ever mandatory code and a watershed moment for the welfare of companion animals in this jurisdiction and quite possibly in Australia.
I would like to acknowledge the excellent work of the government’s Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, AWAC, towards the development of a draft voluntary code, a code of practice for the sale of animals in the ACT. The continuing rise in the number of companion animals surrendered in the ACT, combined with increasing internet sales, indicate that it is time for the government to look again at this issue to ensure that it is continuing to support best practice when it comes to animal welfare and to ensure that the standards, guidelines and processes put in place to protect the welfare of companion animals are effective.
A number of proposals will be considered in the discussion paper that will provide an ethical and humane framework to guide the breeding and sale of companion animals in the ACT. Proposals will also be considered to develop a process for information sharing that will support greater compliance in respect of desexing and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of companion animals.
Here in the ACT we are faced with a unique set of circumstances that contribute to the complexity of this issue. It is likely that a large number of companion animals that are purchased by ACT residents are bred outside the ACT. For instance, the internet is playing a more significant role in relation to purchasing pets than ever before. Pet shops are only a small player in the sale of companion animals. For their exposure, pet shops are the player that is in many ways most open to public scrutiny.
I anticipate that a mandatory code will ultimately apply to all sellers of companion animals and will seek to apply practical measures that cover sales advertised on the internet or in print media as well as in pet stores.
As I said, this unique set of circumstances impacts on the government’s capacity to regulate the breeding of companion animals purchased by Canberrans. It results in the high number of discarded animals dealt with by Canberra’s pounds and shelters.
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