Puppy Farm Approved In Victoria

[Bug]

MOORABOOL Shire mayor Pat Griffin has lashed out a decision that has overridden council and allowed a puppy farm to operate in Ballan.

Council and Barwon Water both rejected a proposal for the development of a 100 dog puppy farm last year, only to have their decision overturned by the Victorian Council and Administrative Tribunal during the week.

The farm on Ballan-Geelong Road has been passed by VCAT, which will allow 50 dogs on the site - half that of the original application.

Cr Griffin said it was "an outrageous decision", especially given there had been more than 1300 objections at the time in what is a relatively small shire.

"I'm devastated. These people have no experience in breeding dogs but still VCAT has given them a chance to prove they can keep 50 of them, then they could get a further 50 dogs later down the track," he said.

"But what if they do a bad job in looking after the dogs?"

Cr Griffin said council would lobby the Planning Minister Matthew Guy and Premier Ted Baillieu, who spoke out strongly against unsatisfactory puppy farms when he was in opposition last year.

There is even the option for the council to take the matter to the Supreme Court, although Cr Griffin said that drastic step was very much up in the air.

"It is outrageous. VCAT appears to have completely brushed aside not only the decisions of two responsible authorities in Moorabool Shire Council and Barwon water, but also more than 1300 objectors," he said.

"For an issue to receive more than 1300 objections from all over the place shows how opposed people are to it."

Cr Griffin said the proposal did not comply with a range of guidelines including the animal keeping act, farming zones, noise limits and wastewater treatment and removal.

Council rejected the application in July last year.

The decision was appealed with VCAT, which started the hearing in February, before it was adjourned to the recent hearing.

[Tapua]

too stupid for words

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I don't even know what to say about that, speechless and appalled.

[erinonthefarm]

How is this even legal!!??

I just hope anyone who is trying to rehome an adult purebred gets them desexed first, because no doubt these people will be looking for fifty odd adult dogs. Maybe these puppy mills need to pay a welfare levy to support the large number of their dogs who end up in shelters.

Any ideas if the puppies are destined for any particular shop, market ect?

[Zayenah]

wow, I don't know what to say either

[Andisa]

And who will regulate them - Registered breeders get more restrictions while another puppy farm starts up - sucks big time!!

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Disgusting and smacks of a backhander. When will these morons in power educate themselves before they allow these things to happen???

There is plenty of information and evidence out there on how appalling puppy farming is that would lead any decent human being to do everything in their power to prevent any more from happening and to be fighting to stop the practice entirely.

[toy dog]

look at the big picture of all this, its up to the public not to buy petshop puppies as we all know that petshops fuels puppy farms AND also it is up to the public to stop buying dogs online from these puppy farms that have these fancy websites inticing members of the public.

for all these farms to be all over the place like this they must be able to sell their puppies easily.

so there are still people out there who have no idea.

[WreckitWhippet]

I guess it was decided that they have the right to earn a living and that they could meet the current requirements for housing the animals.

[Online Pets]

look at the big picture of all this, its up to the public not to buy petshop puppies as we all know that petshops fuels puppy farms AND also it is up to the public to stop buying dogs online from these puppy farms that have these fancy websites inticing members of the public.

for all these farms to be all over the place like this they must be able to sell their puppies easily.

so there are still people out there who have no idea.

The trouble is the majority of the petshops dont care where the puppies come from or who they sell them to as long as they make a good profit. And the people who buy them have no idea what a puppy farm is and are price driven impulse buyers.

[Staranais]

I find it hard to believe that someone could keep 50 dogs well fed, mentally entertained, physically fit, give them appropriate veterinary care, and screen the parents for temperament and health flaws, while still turning a profit from selling the pups? Hence, I believe these people won't make a profit without some serious short cuts in terms of dog welfare. This should not be allowed.

[Christina]

I am guessing that this is the pair of morons that had over 100 dogs on the property already & some were removed by some welfare agency, forgot which ?

It got a lot of publicity at the time.

Seems the right to earn money over rides the welfare of the dogs & wishes of other residents.

Crazy really when some people get knocked back on a permit to keep an extra dog, often small or elderly, in residential zones because one spiteful neighbour objects.

[kazwa]

Its not what you know........its WHO you know. Someone has pulled strings to get this passed. It cant have happened any other way. Be interesting to know who was "bought" to enable this to be pushed through. Some detective work is needed here.

[Shazzapug]

We are only 25 mins from Ballan and often travel the Ballan-Geelong Rd to visit granny in Meredith....wonder if it is at the vacated sheep farm, with huge sheds already there. After Beremboke I dont think the area needs another puppy disaster.... Couldnt be the same people could it?

[WreckitWhippet]

At least council and authorities know where the puppy farm is, unlike the several that exist locally here and fly under the radar.

[Steve]

It doesnt matter how many have submitted objections to it - they can only take into account those which are in the immediate area and will be personally affected - such as a neighbour who is worried about noise or smell etc.

As soon as those objections are dealt with then they have the same rights to breed dogs as they would to breed chooks, cows, sheep, goats etc

This was all researched and discussed when the application was first knocked back.

Now they know where it is then they are obligated to operate under the mandatory codes for breeding dogs in the state of victoria which will mean that council and in the next few weeks the RSPCA is able to keep an eye on them and ensure they are doing the right thing by their animals. I have no doubt the people who tried to have it stopped will be watching them pretty closely too.

Personally I see this as preferrable to someone who is simply breeding dogs and no one knows where they are or what they get up to.

If you could see some of the things Pacers has walked into in suburbia where dogs have been treated in the most appalling manner by people who hide them in bedrooms etc then Im sure you too would feel its better for someone to do it by the book and be able to be held accountable along the way. Breeding dogs and earning a living from your property as long as you fit all council criteria is legal in this country and you cant expect that someone is going to be knocked back in case they muck something up or because someone or some group doesnt believe in people breeding puppies. While ever selling puppies in pet shops or anywhere else is legal you cant expect that any law will prevent you producing puppies for sale to wherever and whom ever you want to sell them to.

Think it through if they were going to take that kind of approach then everything people might consider doing on their property or as a hobby or a business would be stopped from starting in case they muck it up.

There is a much bigger picture here and if we want people to do the right thing and breed out in the open and therefore be more accountable than someone who is under the radar and doing it all really wrong then we cant justify beating hell out of anyone who dares to apply or less people who may have applied will apply.

[zenchel]

I was disappointed at the outcome but not surprised. Before the hearing I realised that it was entirely based on planning issues, which do not include the two Codes of Practice that affect how a commercial dog breeding establishment must be run. Until the law is changed and an applicant must have to prove intent and ability to comply with the relevant codes in order to be granted a permit, then we are pushing it up hill with a fork. At the moment, the Codes don't come into effect until the business is up and running.

I spent two days listening to the hearing in VCAT and then two hours being grilled and attempting to make my comments and experience relevant, (as did the RSPCA representative brilliantly - she was fantastic) I was not surprised when it became apparent that neither the permit applicant nor his representative (a town planner) had any clue of the existence of the Code of Practice for Responsible Breeding of Dogs With Heritable Defects. However why would they - it was not relevant to the application for a planning permit, which is why we were all there. The fact that they had no clue when they stated in the application that they are going to breed Cocker Spaniels, Scottish Terriers etc is another issue.....

Who knows, this particular domestic animal breeding business may turn out to be the gold standard

Sylvia

[mita]

Disgusting and smacks of a backhander. When will these morons in power educate themselves before they allow these things to happen???

There is plenty of information and evidence out there on how appalling puppy farming is that would lead any decent human being to do everything in their power to prevent any more from happening and to be fighting to stop the practice entirely.

Couldn't agree more. And the education should include that puppies must be raised to be socialised right from the start.

Which requires that the mother dogs must also lead a well-socialised life.

If that's missing, then it's puppy farming, not puppy raising. And no different from pig farming.

Great post, zenchel, for pointing out the administrative issues, which leave a huge hole where welfare considerations should be.

Staranais's post spelled out, exactly, those welfare needs.

Edited July 17, 2011 by mita

[Alkhe]

It doesnt matter how many have submitted objections to it - they can only take into account those which are in the immediate area and will be personally affected - such as a neighbour who is worried about noise or smell etc.

As soon as those objections are dealt with then they have the same rights to breed dogs as they would to breed chooks, cows, sheep, goats etc

This was all researched and discussed when the application was first knocked back.

Now they know where it is then they are obligated to operate under the mandatory codes for breeding dogs in the state of victoria which will mean that council and in the next few weeks the RSPCA is able to keep an eye on them and ensure they are doing the right thing by their animals. I have no doubt the people who tried to have it stopped will be watching them pretty closely too.

Personally I see this as preferrable to someone who is simply breeding dogs and no one knows where they are or what they get up to.

If you could see some of the things Pacers has walked into in suburbia where dogs have been treated in the most appalling manner by people who hide them in bedrooms etc then Im sure you too would feel its better for someone to do it by the book and be able to be held accountable along the way. Breeding dogs and earning a living from your property as long as you fit all council criteria is legal in this country and you cant expect that someone is going to be knocked back in case they muck something up or because someone or some group doesnt believe in people breeding puppies. While ever selling puppies in pet shops or anywhere else is legal you cant expect that any law will prevent you producing puppies for sale to wherever and whom ever you want to sell them to.

Think it through if they were going to take that kind of approach then everything people might consider doing on their property or as a hobby or a business would be stopped from starting in case they muck it up.

There is a much bigger picture here and if we want people to do the right thing and breed out in the open and therefore be more accountable than someone who is under the radar and doing it all really wrong then we cant justify beating hell out of anyone who dares to apply or less people who may have applied will apply.

I completely agree with you, especially on these points. When I first read this news I was mortified and so angry that I actually walked away from the computer fuming. But having actually processed it, I think the outcome perhaps isn't so bad. I am disgusted by the decision, but think that a monitored puppy farm that already has 1,000+ objectors is a far better outcome than an undercover one that is hushed up.

Baby steps - it's a yucky step, but a step in the right direction, I think.

[toy dog]

well i know of a farmer and their partner who over the years is constantly abusing their dogs, was told several times to stop breeding then got taken to court over it, (animal abuse) one had no licence, the other did, council tried to stop them owning and breeding dogs because of the abuse etc. yet VCAT told council they must issue them with a licence.

the abuse will still go on with the licence now all above board, yet RSPCA and others are powerless to stop the abuse as it will go on, you'll see.

so even if everyone knows who they are, where they are and what they do to animals no one can stop it even if they do operate out in the open.

the law has failed these dogs. the dogs still remain sitting on wire in a hot tin shed with nothing but fans in summer to keep them cool. be like sitting in an oven. and the poor dogs would be cold in the winter.

intesting another operator constantly tells the media that they are the best in the country yet there are pictures out there to prove them wrong. and the animal people are watching and waiting, heard that yet again there was another raid as the law has failed these dogs as well....