Proposed New Victorian Dog Laws Dead Wrong

[charlieandoops]

Don't know if it will do much good cross posting in rescue......our own issues have just raised their ugly heads which could potentially REMOVE rescue altogether from Victoria......

Chasing the monopoly – how big business is crippling Victoria’s community rescue groups

Released Thursday 20th May, 2010 is the new ‘Code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds‘ from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. With the advisory panel for this legislation featuring some of the largest and most wealthy animal shelters in Victoria, including the RSPCA VIC and Lost Dogs Home, this review had the opportunity to revolutionise animal sheltering in the state; mandating a life-saving focus and removing outdated restrictions to expand the capacity of the community to become involved.

Unfortunately though, rather than look to promote those initiatives that have been shown to save the lives of shelter animals, the new code of practice further reduces the claim of rescue groups on homeless pets and is set to propel Victoria into a monopolised, ’super pound’ future. Shelters with millions of dollars of community resources at their disposal are able to kill under government mandates, while shutting their doors to private and community rescues, who are no longer a recognised resource able to offer death row pets a second chance.

Why greed is being put before life-saving

In 2010 the public are informed about, comparing and critiquing their local animal organisation’s performance like never before. Online discussion and the community’s feeling that pets are ‘family members’, combined with the realisation that other countries have made huge advancements in sheltering techniques that save lives, has lead to pet owners questioning the efficacy of their own community’s animal management. Empowered by the realisation that they, the community, are part of the solution, a huge movement towards the creation of foster care groups is gaining momentum across Australia.

With websites like PetRescue, connecting these groups with thousands of potential adopters, without the need for a shelter, private foster care groups working alongside compassionate pounds and shelters have become the new model of modern animal management.

However ‘old school’ shelters, running pound contracts and killing the majority of pets in their care, have donor bases and bequests worth many hundreds of millions of dollars. Concerned that this new swing towards community based life saving might eat into their profits, they look to disparage the capabilities of community rescue groups and have become complicit in an effort by the government to shut out private rescue and give councils more reasons to kill, rather than save pets.

The new plan to kill community rescue in Victoria

The existing ‘Code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds‘ already contains several outdated mandates that see pets killed unnecessarily in Victorian shelters.

A mandatory euthanasia deadline

In Victoria, impounded animals must be held for 8 days, before being offered for sale, or killed. However, rather than give adoptable pets an unlimited chance to find a new home, pounds are required to kill them or move them off site.

The maximum time any animal selected for sale can be held at a shelter is four weeks. At the conclusion of this period, the animal must be euthanased or permanently removed from the facility, for example, by placement in a foster program.

Shelters could have lobbied the government to remove this mandate, as the use of modern animal sheltering techniques, enrichment and off-site foster homes mean pets can be kept healthy for a unlimited amount of time. However, pounds and shelters in Victoria, not interested in expanding their programs beyond killing, simply accepted the governments addition of two weeks to the holding period.

With the exception of animals seized and under legal challenge, the maximum time an Animal, that has completed the statutory eight days, can be held at an Establishment is six weeks from the end of the eighth day. At the conclusion of this period the Animal must be euthanased or permanently removed from the facility, for example, by placement in foster care.

New code of practice

Rescue groups now have just 6 weeks to find any animal a new home.

The mandated killing of unweaned or underage kittens and puppies

Some shelters work with foster carer groups who specialise in saving the lives of the pets who need extra care. A lazy animal shelter will simply kill all unweaned animals. Rather than embrace and encourage programs which work to save underage animals, the legislation supported by the largest and wealthiest shelters in Victoria, mandates their immediate euthanasia;

Unweaned animals without a queen or bitch must not be placed in foster care.

Kittens must be a minimum of 400 grams and condition scored to 2 or greater. Puppies a minimum of 4 weeks before they can be placed in juvenile foster care. Any animal under these minimum weights or ages, without a queen or bitch, must be humanely euthanased.

New code of practice

And rather than encourage private rescue and foster care groups to form to help with capacity and special needs pets, finally…

The elimination of foster care and community rescue groups

Foster care can no longer be used to make space at the end of an animal’s holding period.

The only times an animal can be placed in foster care is on the grounds of juvenile or rehabilitation foster care. The animals placed in foster care must be permanently identified by microchip and remain the property of the establishment and must be returned for re-homing. Foster care must not be considered as the animal being ‘permanently removed’ from the establishment.

An animal in foster care must not be sold or rehoused from the foster care premises.

New code of practice

Instead a new ‘limited access’ foster care program, can be run internally by shelters. Private foster care groups are no longer permitted and each foster carer must work as a volunteer of the shelter.

While mandating that foster carers be limited, there is no mandate for shelters to actually offer a foster care program. Pets can be impounded, killed and if the shelter chooses not to run a foster program, the community have no claim to save the lives of these pets.

What we’re losing in Victoria

In states other than Victoria, foster groups are leading the way in community lifesaving. There are over 750 groups using PetRescue, growing at the rate of about 2 new groups a day. Each one of these community groups brings new resources, new knowledge and new passion into our industry. Not to mention capacity to save lives.

By allowing large, wealthy groups who use killing as their primary tool for managing pets to lobby government for a monopoly on animal sheltering; by allowing then the power to shut their doors to community rescue groups, foster carers and giving them expanded powers to kill, we’re moving as far away from a No Kill future as it’s possible to do.

The public will have less ability to access information on shelter statistics, and less accountability as the private rescuers who often act as whistle-blowers to abuse and poor performance are forced out. While the very organisations who have lobbied the government for these changes, are the ones most likely to benefit from expanded pound contracts and lack of competition within the sector.

Thousands of pets, who would have been given a second chance will be killed. While million dollar animal shelters will wring their hands and have a new defence for the killing.

“We have to kill, it’s the law…”

[Lhok]

Don't know if it will do much good cross posting in rescue......our own issues have just raised their ugly heads which could potentially REMOVE rescue altogether from Victoria......

Chasing the monopoly – how big business is crippling Victoria’s community rescue groups

Released Thursday 20th May, 2010 is the new ‘Code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds‘ from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. With the advisory panel for this legislation featuring some of the largest and most wealthy animal shelters in Victoria, including the RSPCA VIC and Lost Dogs Home, this review had the opportunity to revolutionise animal sheltering in the state; mandating a life-saving focus and removing outdated restrictions to expand the capacity of the community to become involved.

Unfortunately though, rather than look to promote those initiatives that have been shown to save the lives of shelter animals, the new code of practice further reduces the claim of rescue groups on homeless pets and is set to propel Victoria into a monopolised, ’super pound’ future. Shelters with millions of dollars of community resources at their disposal are able to kill under government mandates, while shutting their doors to private and community rescues, who are no longer a recognised resource able to offer death row pets a second chance.

Why greed is being put before life-saving

In 2010 the public are informed about, comparing and critiquing their local animal organisation’s performance like never before. Online discussion and the community’s feeling that pets are ‘family members’, combined with the realisation that other countries have made huge advancements in sheltering techniques that save lives, has lead to pet owners questioning the efficacy of their own community’s animal management. Empowered by the realisation that they, the community, are part of the solution, a huge movement towards the creation of foster care groups is gaining momentum across Australia.

With websites like PetRescue, connecting these groups with thousands of potential adopters, without the need for a shelter, private foster care groups working alongside compassionate pounds and shelters have become the new model of modern animal management.

However ‘old school’ shelters, running pound contracts and killing the majority of pets in their care, have donor bases and bequests worth many hundreds of millions of dollars. Concerned that this new swing towards community based life saving might eat into their profits, they look to disparage the capabilities of community rescue groups and have become complicit in an effort by the government to shut out private rescue and give councils more reasons to kill, rather than save pets.

The new plan to kill community rescue in Victoria

The existing ‘Code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds‘ already contains several outdated mandates that see pets killed unnecessarily in Victorian shelters.

A mandatory euthanasia deadline

In Victoria, impounded animals must be held for 8 days, before being offered for sale, or killed. However, rather than give adoptable pets an unlimited chance to find a new home, pounds are required to kill them or move them off site.

The maximum time any animal selected for sale can be held at a shelter is four weeks. At the conclusion of this period, the animal must be euthanased or permanently removed from the facility, for example, by placement in a foster program.

Shelters could have lobbied the government to remove this mandate, as the use of modern animal sheltering techniques, enrichment and off-site foster homes mean pets can be kept healthy for a unlimited amount of time. However, pounds and shelters in Victoria, not interested in expanding their programs beyond killing, simply accepted the governments addition of two weeks to the holding period.

With the exception of animals seized and under legal challenge, the maximum time an Animal, that has completed the statutory eight days, can be held at an Establishment is six weeks from the end of the eighth day. At the conclusion of this period the Animal must be euthanased or permanently removed from the facility, for example, by placement in foster care.

New code of practice

Rescue groups now have just 6 weeks to find any animal a new home.

The mandated killing of unweaned or underage kittens and puppies

Some shelters work with foster carer groups who specialise in saving the lives of the pets who need extra care. A lazy animal shelter will simply kill all unweaned animals. Rather than embrace and encourage programs which work to save underage animals, the legislation supported by the largest and wealthiest shelters in Victoria, mandates their immediate euthanasia;

Unweaned animals without a queen or bitch must not be placed in foster care.

Kittens must be a minimum of 400 grams and condition scored to 2 or greater. Puppies a minimum of 4 weeks before they can be placed in juvenile foster care. Any animal under these minimum weights or ages, without a queen or bitch, must be humanely euthanased.

New code of practice

And rather than encourage private rescue and foster care groups to form to help with capacity and special needs pets, finally…

The elimination of foster care and community rescue groups

Foster care can no longer be used to make space at the end of an animal’s holding period.

The only times an animal can be placed in foster care is on the grounds of juvenile or rehabilitation foster care. The animals placed in foster care must be permanently identified by microchip and remain the property of the establishment and must be returned for re-homing. Foster care must not be considered as the animal being ‘permanently removed’ from the establishment.

An animal in foster care must not be sold or rehoused from the foster care premises.

New code of practice

Instead a new ‘limited access’ foster care program, can be run internally by shelters. Private foster care groups are no longer permitted and each foster carer must work as a volunteer of the shelter.

While mandating that foster carers be limited, there is no mandate for shelters to actually offer a foster care program. Pets can be impounded, killed and if the shelter chooses not to run a foster program, the community have no claim to save the lives of these pets.

What we’re losing in Victoria

In states other than Victoria, foster groups are leading the way in community lifesaving. There are over 750 groups using PetRescue, growing at the rate of about 2 new groups a day. Each one of these community groups brings new resources, new knowledge and new passion into our industry. Not to mention capacity to save lives.

By allowing large, wealthy groups who use killing as their primary tool for managing pets to lobby government for a monopoly on animal sheltering; by allowing then the power to shut their doors to community rescue groups, foster carers and giving them expanded powers to kill, we’re moving as far away from a No Kill future as it’s possible to do.

The public will have less ability to access information on shelter statistics, and less accountability as the private rescuers who often act as whistle-blowers to abuse and poor performance are forced out. While the very organisations who have lobbied the government for these changes, are the ones most likely to benefit from expanded pound contracts and lack of competition within the sector.

Thousands of pets, who would have been given a second chance will be killed. While million dollar animal shelters will wring their hands and have a new defence for the killing.

“We have to kill, it’s the law…”

That's horrible how could anyone pass such a thing.. and how/ what can we do to stop it?

--Lhok

[Erny]

I knew it. The laws that are proposed by the Bill which is the subject of the thread I've created here, felt from the outset, for me, simply a way for shelters to make their money and make it faster, the double-whammy in their favour being that people will not have the necessary time or legal right and recourse to take legal action to reclaim their pets, which will of course save the shelters much hassle. Easy money. And it sounds as though the new codes of practices that are recited in your post, Charlieandoops, are to the same ends.

I have my hands full with this and another 'project' (amongst the other of the things I need to try to get done that are the normal process of 'living') but if rescue would care to organise a petition, I will gladly do what I can to pass it around and collect signatures. I am sure there will be many others who will do the same.

I don't know what rescue is doing or has done in an effort to fight the fight that it seems you now have on your hands (which is really not just "your" fight - it is a fight for anyone who cares about animals) but I can only strongly recommend action commences now.

Ask the Government questions and insist it provides you with answers. Ring your MP's and lobby for their help.

It takes up a lot of precious time - that I know from first hand experience.

To be honest - I can't help feeling as though this is the final push by the Government to meet the goals it set itself several years ago. To do away with dogs. Perhaps I'm being melodramatic. But I can't rid myself of this feeling.

Edited May 22, 2010 by Erny

[charlieandoops]

It's not often I am at a loss as to what to do next but this one has me all but stumped.

Have emailed my address book and my media contacts, posted on two dog forums and hope to Dog that SOMEONE reading this has a better idea as to how to fight it short of a mass rally this coming Tuesday, however we would need 10's of 1000's of people opposing this to get anywhere. Is this really possible given it is 11.23pm on Saturday????

Someone out there will hopefully have a more realistic idea.

Edited May 22, 2010 by charlieandoops

[charlieandoops]

Only found out about this myself this evening Erny. Been trying to digest the act and I doubt if any of the other rescue orgs know as yet as I have received nothing from any of my cronies...They certainly tried to slip this one in under the radar.

Happy to attach the proposed changes to the act if anyone has the legal mind to wade through

[Erny]

It's not often I am at a loss as to what to do next but this one has be all but stumped.

Have emailed my address book and my media contacts, posted on two dog forums and hope to Dog that SOMEONE reading this has a better idea short of a mass rally this coming Tuesday, however we would need 10's of 1000's of people opposing this to get anywhere. Is this really possible given it is 11.23pm on Saturday????

Someone out there will hopefully have a more realistic idea.

Short of a mass rally, letters (as boring and laborious as that might sound and be).

Do what I've done - prepare a template letter that people can pretty much copy/paste (and add extra words of their own, if they wish) and direct them as to where you want those letters sent/emailed.

Make it easy, as sometimes letter writing can be daunting. Many people in essence agree with a cause, but might not know enough of the details to feel they are able to competently write about them. Template letters aren't ideal, but they are better than voicing nothing at all. At the very least the Government will know there are many people out there who are very concerned and very affected by what they are doing or propose to do.

Email talk back radio - if they take it on, that can be excellent exposure. When we speak through media though, we need to be very careful that the view we want portrayed is clear and reflected.

It's not too late. Things get set down for dates, but then adjourned. Write.

It's election year. Push it.

I know ........... it's an exhausting task.

[charlieandoops]

Neil Mitchell emailed.

[Erny]

Good onya, Charlieandoops.

We can only try.

And when that doesn't work, we can only reflect our disappointment when we lodge our Ballot papers on voting day.

[cavNrott]

I posted this in the poll thread but will post again here.

Came across this quote today:-

If you fight you might lose - if you don't fight you have already lost.

If we fight this we might win.

[melzawelza]

Hi Melzawelza - thank you for contributing to our Victorian 'cause' - very much appreciated .

Also, thanks for the comment regards the workshop and am glad you enjoyed it.

But no fair, because you know who I am but I don't know who you are

LOL sorry Erny

I was in the first block, short blonde hair and I let you know that the 'd ring' on the gentle leaders are much smaller now.

Edited May 22, 2010 by melzawelza

[Erny]

I was in the first block, short blonde hair and I let you know that the 'd ring' on the gentle leaders are much smaller now.

Ahh ..... now I remember

[APBT Club of Aust Inc.]

I am absolutely gobsmacked.

It sems the only animal this government would be happy to see people owning is one purchased from Tandy.

"THIS GOVERNMENT HAS GOT TO GO"

Time to put pen to paper again.

[zayda_asher]

Thanks Mike.

I've specifically linked (below) your response to Govt in Opposition to these proposed amendments. I thought it was very well set out and concise. The way I'd prefer my contribution to have been, but just couldn't find the time to get into the mindset of it, and needed some time without the interruptions that have been necessary for me these past number of days. I'm putting it here because some people might miss your link to it.

Goodfordogs Response to Bill

Troy - I'm not sure if I'm breaking any forum rules by linking this : I tried a copy/paste but I lost all the formatting and it made it laborious to read. Please let me know if you want me to do different than what I have.

Erny, just letting you know the GFDs response doesn't appear to be up any more... I had a quick cruise around the site and couldn't see it?

[charlieandoops]

I have just been informed that the proposed bill for rescue and shelters has been rejected for the moment. There is now time to organise our discontent as a community and this will happen. More details when they are at hand.

[Erny]

I have just been informed that the proposed bill for rescue and shelters has been rejected for the moment. There is now time to organise our discontent as a community and this will happen. More details when they are at hand.

Well that's a reprieve that was needed - and yes, time to shore up and be ready. Please post here in general (a new thread might help to stop confusion) with the letters you want us to write, petitions etc. and/or anything else you think will help.

In the meantime, if you guys could add your voices to what we're working on at the moment (urgent help is needed) that would be appreciated.

What was the reason, or who was the person, behind the "rejection"?

Edited May 23, 2010 by Erny

[Andrea&John]

Thanks Mike.

I've specifically linked (below) your response to Govt in Opposition to these proposed amendments. I thought it was very well set out and concise. The way I'd prefer my contribution to have been, but just couldn't find the time to get into the mindset of it, and needed some time without the interruptions that have been necessary for me these past number of days. I'm putting it here because some people might miss your link to it.

Goodfordogs Response to Bill

Troy - I'm not sure if I'm breaking any forum rules by linking this : I tried a copy/paste but I lost all the formatting and it made it laborious to read. Please let me know if you want me to do different than what I have.

Erny, just letting you know the GFDs response doesn't appear to be up any more... I had a quick cruise around the site and couldn't see it?

Doesn't seem to work for me either

And my letter is supposed to appear in the Border Mail. I will certainly post it in here then.

[Erny]

Erny, just letting you know the GFDs response doesn't appear to be up any more... I had a quick cruise around the site and couldn't see it?

Ok - I'm on to it. Will enquire to see what's up. Stay-tuned.

Thanks for letting me know. I missed your post, ZA. So thanks also to A&J for re-posting it.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Erny

[Erny]

Link is fixed. Same link as before. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Response to Bill

Edited May 23, 2010 by Erny

[arrow]

I've just read this and it's taking me a while to get my head around it. I'm sure I responded to a government survey a few months ago in which I pointed out that certain proposals were not acceptable - with what I thought were decent reasons. It seems like the proposals have just been turned into a Bill.

Anyhow, I'm working on a letter.

[Erny]

I've just read this and it's taking me a while to get my head around it. I'm sure I responded to a government survey a few months ago in which I pointed out that certain proposals were not acceptable - with what I thought were decent reasons. It seems like the proposals have just been turned into a Bill.

Anyhow, I'm working on a letter.

Thanks Arrow. The more letters to the more MP's/MLA's (lower house) and MLC's (upper house) the better.