Page 132 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2012
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In terms of the care information, the bill introduces the requirement that when you sell an animal you need to ensure that potential pet owners are aware of what they are taking on when acquiring a pet. It is not just a cute ball of fur. Sellers need to provide care information which covers specific needs of different species and breeds of animals. Consumers who are not aware of the realities of caring for an animal are more likely to abandon that animal.
The bill also regulates advertising. It limits advertising to authorised or approved sellers. Again, there are exemptions for people rehoming rescued animals or making a one-off sale of their own pet.
Another advance in the bill is an improvement to the current system of microchips. The bill will require the original breeders of the animals to microchip the animal they breed and to record their own details in the chip. This will ensure that all cats and dogs can be traced back to their original breeders, something which cannot always be done at present. It is an important change which the RSPCA, as well as other welfare organisations, have asked for. If there are dogs or cats with actual medical problems, genetic problems, they can be traced back to the original breeder and thus the issue addressed.
The bill takes the important step of requiring desexing of dogs and cats at the point of sale. Of course desexing is already a requirement in the ACT for grown animals, but dogs and cats are typically sold before the age of mandatory desexing. Desexing stops unplanned litters and thus stops animals ending up at DAS or the RSPCA and it lowers euthanasia rates. Any cats and dogs which are sold below the legal age for desexing must be sold with a redeemable desexing voucher. As part of implementation of this bill it would be sensible for the government to help establish a list of veterinary surgeons who will redeem the desexing vouchers. The government could look to the Gold Coast, where the council has worked with vets to establish a network, and I understand it is working well.
As well as these specific requirements to improve trading in companion animals, this bill will improve the ACT’s animal cruelty laws. The bill would increase the available maximum fines for animal cruelty and aggravated cruelty. Currently we have the lowest fines for animal cruelty in the country. The changes would make ACT penalty options consistent with other Australian jurisdictions and also make available a greater range of penalties for cruelty offences. The option to fine is important, as in practice jail terms are uncommon in animal cruelty cases. The maximum fine is also an important deterrent to bad behaviour for people whose cruelty offences are part of their business and who weigh up the ability to make profits with the risk of being caught and paying a fine.
Given the importance of reducing animal cruelty, there is a new requirement for vets to report suspected cases of animal cruelty to the authorities and a clarification to the animal welfare provisions around codes of practice. At present, many animal cruelty issues go undetected and thus unprosecuted.
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