S A Bill Passed Re Dog & Cat Management Press Release

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News releases - Ian Hunter

Dog and cat management laws overhauled to help end puppy farms, euthanasia

Ian HunterJuly 6, 2016

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Putting an end to cruel puppy farming and reducing the number of dogs and cats euthanised each year are a step closer after Parliament today passed amendments to the Dog and Cat Management Act.

All dogs and cats will have to be microchipped, and dogs and cats will soon have to be desexed, with exemptions available for breeders, working dogs and security dogs.

Vets will have the power to defer microchipping or desexing requirements on health grounds.

Other amendments include the requirement for breeder registration to help put a stop to puppy farming, greater powers for local councils to administer the Act, and changes to who can accredit assistance dogs and recognise assistance dogs in training.

The next step is to consult on the draft regulations to work out the finer details of how the new requirements will come into effect.

It is expected the draft regulations will be ready for public consultation later this year and that the amendments will be phased in during 2017.

Background

The passing of the amendments is the latest step in the delivery of the 2014 election commitment to reform the state's dog and cat management laws.

The process has involved an extensive public engagement program, including convening a citizens' jury to make recommendations on reducing the number of unwanted dogs and cats that are euthanised every year.

For more information visit www.dogandcatboard.com.au/dog-and-cat-reforms.

Quotes attributable to Environment Minister Ian Hunter

Bringing an end to puppy farms and reducing numbers of unwanted pets is a great outcome for all dog and cat lovers in South Australia.

There are great benefits from both microchipping and desexing – experience shows lost microchipped animals have a much higher chance of being reunited with their owners, while desexing reduces unwanted litters and behaviours such as aggression and roaming.

These two measures will go a long way to cutting the number of dogs and cats that end up in shelters and the unacceptably high number of unwanted animals euthanised every year.

Most reputable breeders already adhere voluntarily to high standards, but breeder registration will be an important tool allowing us to prosecute puppy farmers and ultimately stamp out this reprehensible practice.

Quotes attributable to Dog and Cat Management Board Chair Dr Felicity-ann Lewis

The Dog and Cat Management Board has been a strong advocate for desexing and microchipping for many years, so it is very pleasing to see these become mandatory.

The recent community engagement, including the citizens' jury, has shown that there is also strong public support for these measures, which we hope will reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats being needlessly euthanised in South Australia.

Quotes attributable Local Government Association of SA CEO Matt Pinnegar

The LGA has fully supported the development of this Bill, and we're pleased the concerns and priorities raised by our sector during consultation have been incorporated into the final version.

Council officers will now have greater investigation and enforcement powers under the Act, which will allow them to better serve their communities.

We also expect the inclusion of mandatory desexing and microchipping will reduce pressure on council pounds, as well as animal shelters.

Quotes attributable to Animal Welfare League Chief Executive Officer Richard Mussell

At this time of important reform for dog and cat management in South Australia, we remain strongly supportive of the Bill for mandatory desexing for all future puppies and kittens to help reduce problem behaviours such as aggression in dogs and nuisance behaviours in cats.

We further welcome the Bill for mandatory microchipping and registration of breeders and Code of Practice for Breeders, which will ensure more positive animal welfare outcomes.

The AWL is very much looking to working in collaboration with the Government and other relevant animal welfare organisations in the future to ensure the success of the Bill.

Quotes attributable to Feline Association of SA President Judith Jordan

The Feline Association of SA welcomes the introduction of new legislation designed to assist in educating the public as to the value of cats and kittens, and from whom and how they should be purchased in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of companion animals.

[bridgie_cat]

Vets will have the power to defer microchipping or desexing requirements on health grounds.

I wonder if this will include decisions to not desex, or desex at a later age, based on study findings relating to health benefits of remaining entire? Or perhaps those owners wishing to keep such benefits will need to look at hormone sparing options like vasectomy? (or OSS for girls - although I dont know that the benefit is so clear in girls for entire vs spey and overall health...)

I think this (blanket desexing) is going to be very hard to police, and I am not sure if it is in the best interest of all pets. I would really rather see smart changes coming in regarding information which is recorded on microchips. Compulsory microchiping prior to sale has been in place for some time in many states. If we were to add a section on the chip which was "breeder - name, contact, +/- registration details where they have one" - then we can track where the pound dogs are coming from.

Once you can track where these dogs originate, we could look at having fines, or breeding limitations/suspensions, or some other form of control/negative feedback for breeders whose puppies end up in the pound system, if they are not willing to take some sort of appropriate responsibility for those dogs.

This would be a particularly direct/targeted measure for dealing with dogs ending up in pounds - and aside from compliance around microchips, and changing contact details, it would I think be a much more manageable thing to police - as you are able to focus on a problem area rather than the whole of society...... and uses a system which is already largely in place.

I think many breeders would want to know if one of their dogs ended up in the pound. And I think those that do not care that their dogs are ending up in pounds should not be breeding said dogs, or in a situation where they are selecting homes for dogs.

Just my thoughts.

[Steve]

Dont you just love that its all focused on management rather than welfare even from the Animal welfare league.

The microchipping is long overdue but we are still locked into the same old same old where the bleating for desexing is tied to less animals in pounds and less puppy farmers when exactly the opposite has proven to be the case in places where mandatory desexing is in.

public education! Biased public education pointed at their idea of how dogs and cats are best managed for the councils - Its got me buggered why dog owners just lay down and have their right to decide what THEY think is best for their dogs taken off them.

Their ramblings about how breeders being registered will work is just more of the crap. As if someone who is really puppy farming is going to walk in and get registered.

Stop press news NSW has had mandatory microchipping snce 1995 and still tons of breeders dont chip and less will chip since new laws come in for NSW this week

[asal]

Dont you just love that its all focused on management rather than welfare even from the Animal welfare league.

The microchipping is long overdue but we are still locked into the same old same old where the bleating for desexing is tied to less animals in pounds and less puppy farmers when exactly the opposite has proven to be the case in places where mandatory desexing is in.

public education! Biased public education pointed at their idea of how dogs and cats are best managed for the councils - Its got me buggered why dog owners just lay down and have their right to decide what THEY think is best for their dogs taken off them.

Their ramblings about how breeders being registered will work is just more of the crap. As if someone who is really puppy farming is going to walk in and get registered.

Stop press news NSW has had mandatory microchipping snce 1995 and still tons of breeders dont chip and less will chip since new laws come in for NSW this week

as a chipper since its inception, I am constantly astonished how many puppies owners contact me to get their new pet chipped and in just about every case it came from a friend of a friend of, but they have friends with purebred chipped dogs and want theirs safe and traceable if they get lost. How many millions don't might make interesting figures.

no amount of legislation is going to filter through this network and i suspect its huge. just ask anyone who knows the stats of dogs that end up in pounds with no chip.

as usual is only a control of the people who are honest enough to sign up for persecution as the supposed cause of the oversupply at rescues. the nameless faceless are still invisible.

be interesting what the real numbers are but do not see how that can be achieved

Edited July 11, 2016 by asal

[casowner]

I was involved in the final stages of the new policy for breeding and selling dogs and cats and they will have to test all dogs for inheritable diseases so this will put more requirements onto breeders which will include puppy farmers. Afflicted dogs will be unable to be bred from

[Steve]

I was involved in the final stages of the new policy for breeding and selling dogs and cats and they will have to test all dogs for inheritable diseases so this will put more requirements onto breeders which will include puppy farmers. Afflicted dogs will be unable to be bred from

can you expand on this casowner ?

[Sheridan]

I was involved in the final stages of the new policy for breeding and selling dogs and cats and they will have to test all dogs for inheritable diseases so this will put more requirements onto breeders which will include puppy farmers. Afflicted dogs will be unable to be bred from

can you expand on this casowner ?

Yes, I'd like to know more.

[dragonwoman]

I was involved in the final stages of the new policy for breeding and selling dogs and cats and they will have to test all dogs for inheritable diseases so this will put more requirements onto breeders which will include puppy farmers. Afflicted dogs will be unable to be bred from

We have had that law in Victoria for several years but the pet owners and the BYB don't even know half the diseases exist. Last few cases of serious one in my breed have been interstate pet owners breeding unregistered or limited register dogs.....ANKC breeders generally test but our breed does not have LRLs as yet

[Steve]

Willem how will this law affect you?

[melzawelza]

Sigh. Cos mandatory desexing always works to reduce pound killing (hint: it increases numbers coming in to the pound which are subsequently killed in many of the poorly run pounds and shelters around the state).

[Willem]

Willem how will this law affect you?

I'm in NSW...and I'm not a dog, so there is hope that I keep my balls :)

the problem with all this 'troubleshooting' actioned by politicians and other authorities is that they think that Australia (and USA) is the centre of the world ...and that such an attitude is easy to sell to the public. I'm more for copying solutions if they proved themselves elsewhere instead of trying to reinvent the wheel again and again....and would like to ask the people responsible for such laws how can it be that all the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Schweden, Finnland, Denmark) can cope with less than 7% of the dogs desexed?....HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?...clearly, there must be an overpopulation, straying dogs, unwanted litters, puppy farmers everywhere.....IT MUST BE HELL FOR ALL THE REPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS THERE....it must be even worse in Norway where dog owners are not allowed to de-sex their dogs at all: how do they survive??? ....How can it be that a behaviorist in Germany would struggle to earn his crust as there are not enough problem dogs?

What are the answers of these politicians to those simple questions?...

[Willem]

Sigh. Cos mandatory desexing always works to reduce pound killing (hint: it increases numbers coming in to the pound which are subsequently killed in many of the poorly run pounds and shelters around the state).

we have 4.2 Mill dogs (approx.) in Australia, assuming an average life span of 10 years and an average litter size of 5 it just needs 84,000 entire bitches (that's just 2% of the dog population) to maintain the status quo (producing 420,000 dogs each ear). I fail to see what difference it makes if the private pet owner is forced to de-sex his dogs to avoid the occasional accident - the off-springs from those accidents have no impact at all when there are enough entire dogs on puppy farms and with breeders - mandatory de-sexing is only promoted in USA, Australia and partly Canada...the rest of the civilized world shows that even dog-populations with less than 7% de-sexed dogs won't lead to overpopulation or killing in pounds!

We would need de-sexing rates 95% and higher to see an impact on dog population numbers in Australia due to such measures...even if such laws would be introduced in all states and territories you never will get close to such required de-sexing ratios if there is a demand and market for dogs and breeders and puppy farmers would respond to the market ...there is no country where over 95% of the dogs are de-sexed...it is a stupid approach that never worked elsewhere....

[Steve]

Willem how will this law affect you?

I'm in NSW...and I'm not a dog, so there is hope that I keep my balls :)

the problem with all this 'troubleshooting' actioned by politicians and other authorities is that they think that Australia (and USA) is the centre of the world ...and that such an attitude is easy to sell to the public. I'm more for copying solutions if they proved themselves elsewhere instead of trying to reinvent the wheel again and again....and would like to ask the people responsible for such laws how can it be that all the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Schweden, Finnland, Denmark) can cope with less than 7% of the dogs desexed?....HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?...clearly, there must be an overpopulation, straying dogs, unwanted litters, puppy farmers everywhere.....IT MUST BE HELL FOR ALL THE REPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS THERE....it must be even worse in Norway where dog owners are not allowed to de-sex their dogs at all: how do they survive??? ....How can it be that a behaviorist in Germany would struggle to earn his crust as there are not enough problem dogs?

What are the answers of these politicians to those simple questions?...

Sorry I thought you were in SA. Dunno why. Its because the same crazies infest us and the USA and they have copied PETA'S strategy.

[Willem]

Willem how will this law affect you?

I'm in NSW...and I'm not a dog, so there is hope that I keep my balls :)

the problem with all this 'troubleshooting' actioned by politicians and other authorities is that they think that Australia (and USA) is the centre of the world ...and that such an attitude is easy to sell to the public. I'm more for copying solutions if they proved themselves elsewhere instead of trying to reinvent the wheel again and again....and would like to ask the people responsible for such laws how can it be that all the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Schweden, Finnland, Denmark) can cope with less than 7% of the dogs desexed?....HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?...clearly, there must be an overpopulation, straying dogs, unwanted litters, puppy farmers everywhere.....IT MUST BE HELL FOR ALL THE REPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS THERE....it must be even worse in Norway where dog owners are not allowed to de-sex their dogs at all: how do they survive??? ....How can it be that a behaviorist in Germany would struggle to earn his crust as there are not enough problem dogs?

What are the answers of these politicians to those simple questions?...

Sorry I thought you were in SA. Dunno why. Its because the same crazies infest us and the USA and they have copied PETA'S strategy.

...no need to say sorry...with 1 out of 100 Australians ending up in age care (yes, that's pretty much the same ratio of dogs ending up in pounds) and no chance of rehoming you never know what mandatory surgical tributes are required for us in the future with such qualified politicians in charge....there are civilized countries and there are countries just claiming to be civilized...

this is from a report investigating in stray animal control in Europe

3.9.2. SWEDEN

3.9.2.1. The situation in Sweden

Sweden has a good national record of dog licensing and registration. This approach towards dog control was adopted alongside rigid quarantine laws in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century to control the spread of rabies (Carding, 1969).

3.9.2.2. Legislation

Swedens Animal Welfare Act and the Animal Welfare Ordinance both enacted in 1988, outline animal welfare provisions and prohibit animal neglect, abandonment and cruelty. They outline basic provisions concerning animal management, husbandry and treatment, and requires breeders to be licensed. Municipal legislation is mainly concerned with the enforcement of dog control laws, typically; leash laws, dog prohibited areas and dog fowling. Animal shelters are not governed via national legislation; they are exclusively run by non government organisations and are self regulated.

3.9.2.3. Registration and licensing

It is a legal requirement in Sweden for dogs to be registered and permanently identified from four months of age. Since 2000, identification by way of a microchip is preferred over marking with an ear tattoo. Dogs must be registered with the Swedish authorities within four weeks of being transferred to a new owner, regardless of whether the dog has been obtained from a breeder within Sweden or imported from abroad. The cost of registration is approximately 70 SKr (7.5 EUR) and implantation of a microchip costs 150 SKr (16 EUR). The Swedish Police in conjunction with animal welfare inspectors (Durskyddsinspektoremas Riksforening: DIRF) and veterinary practitioners work together, checking that dogs are identified and registered.

3.9.2.4. Responsibility for strays

Dogs found loose in public places are quickly removed either by vigilant members of the public, by the police or they are collected by animal welfare inspectors (equivalent to dog or community wardens). The police may house dogs overnight before passing them on to animal shelters for the remainder of the statutory period (7 days). Owners are charged a boarding fee if their dog is housed overnight. However most owners are re-united with their dogs within a couple of hours of them being found, because they are readily identifiable from a tattoo or microchip.

3.9.2.5. The owned dog population

Swedens owned dog population is estimated at 950,000 dogs, this has increased over the last five years. Approximately ninety percent of owned dogs are pure breeds and they are obtained directly from a breeder (Egenvall et al., 1999), they are expensive to buy and represent a considerable financial investment for owners. The majority of breeders operate on a small scale and are controlled through legislation and voluntary codes of practice outlined by the Swedish Kennel Club. Dog ownership is more common in rural or semi-rural areas than in large cities (Egenvall et al., 1999), and the majority of people who own dogs do so for companionship rather than for utility or working (Sallander et al., 2001). Dogs are considered members of the family by Swedish owners and they therefore occupy a high status in society, this attitude stops owners from readily abandoning their pets (Personal Communication, Swedish Veterinary Association). Furthermore owning more than one 30 dog is uncommon in Swedish society (Egenvall et al., 1999). In the event that owners cannot look after their dogs because they have a change in circumstances they relinquish the dog directly to an animal shelter. Animal shelters are numerous (150 200) and widely distributed across Sweden.

3.9.2.6. Origins of the stray dog population

The only stray dogs in Sweden are dogs that have become loose and are not accompanied by there owners. Over ninety percent of dogs are reunited with their owners within twenty-four hours of being collected by the authorities.

3.9.2.7. Additional factors

a) Neutering

The routine neutering of dogs of either sex is uncommon in Sweden, less than seven percent of bitches and four percent of male dogs are neutered (Egenvall et al., 1999). Consequently there are no subsidised neutering schemes operating in Sweden.

b) Responsible pet ownership education The kennel club runs owner education programmes, offering advice on responsible pet ownership, dog regulations and requirements, and provides prospective owners with breed specific information.

3.9.2.8. Concluding remarks

There is an enormous commitment by the Swedish people and authorities for strict dog control and an impressive degree of social responsibility where dog ownership is concerned. Owners readily comply with the law. Furthermore the high investment and status of dogs within Swedish households means that they are not readily disposed of or abandoned. Responsible ownership and enforced leash laws mean that animals, that arent neutered do not breed uncontrollably.

...only 4% of male de-sexed and less than 7% of bitches de-sexed...and it works .....and our solution?....mandatory de-sexing...

Edited September 8, 2016 by Willem

[karen15]

They have less than 25% of the dogs in Australia - 4.2M in Aust vs 950k in Sweden. The noted attitude to dogs also seems to be different to Australia - 90% are purebred, expensive to buy and represent considerable financial investment for owners, dogs are considered members of the family and occupy high status in society, owning more than one dog is uncommon. The final paragraph is a good summary.

In Australia attitudes are markedly different. In spite of laws re microchipping being in place for some time, dogs aren't microchipped. Lord help a vet if they forced people to obey the law and chipped animals that needed it.

Desexing, my staffy was desexed at 11 due to testicular cancer. He never wandered, made puppies, acted agressively or any of that crap. He was well raised and socialised and exercised daily.

Me being responsible doesn't mean other people are. If existing laws were actually enforced ie microchipping, I think that would go a long way to reducing pound numbers.

Making breeders responsible for their pups / dogs that end up at pounds doesn't sit well with me. The dog owners are the ones responsible for the animals at pounds etc. Their attitude of animals being disposable commodities is the root cause of the problem IMO. It us also where Australian attitudes differ to the Swedish (based on the above post). In addition the noted attitude towards law obeyance - chipping, leash rules- is different to Australia. You only have to go out in suburbia to see how many people don't think the rules apply to them.

So in the end, if people can't moderate their own behaviour and follow existing reasonable laws, the law makers will take a much more prescriptive approach and tell them to do it. That is only effective if the laws are fully policed ie if visit vet MUST be scanned for chip and chipped if not done, council rangers at parks to fine rule breakers and scan dogs for chips etc

[asal]

They have less than 25% of the dogs in Australia - 4.2M in Aust vs 950k in Sweden. The noted attitude to dogs also seems to be different to Australia - 90% are purebred, expensive to buy and represent considerable financial investment for owners, dogs are considered members of the family and occupy high status in society, owning more than one dog is uncommon. The final paragraph is a good summary.

In Australia attitudes are markedly different. In spite of laws re microchipping being in place for some time, dogs aren't microchipped. Lord help a vet if they forced people to obey the law and chipped animals that needed it.

Desexing, my staffy was desexed at 11 due to testicular cancer. He never wandered, made puppies, acted agressively or any of that crap. He was well raised and socialised and exercised daily.

Me being responsible doesn't mean other people are. If existing laws were actually enforced ie microchipping, I think that would go a long way to reducing pound numbers.

Making breeders responsible for their pups / dogs that end up at pounds doesn't sit well with me. The dog owners are the ones responsible for the animals at pounds etc. Their attitude of animals being disposable commodities is the root cause of the problem IMO. It us also where Australian attitudes differ to the Swedish (based on the above post). In addition the noted attitude towards law obeyance - chipping, leash rules- is different to Australia. You only have to go out in suburbia to see how many people don't think the rules apply to them.

So in the end, if people can't moderate their own behaviour and follow existing reasonable laws, the law makers will take a much more prescriptive approach and tell them to do it. That is only effective if the laws are fully policed ie if visit vet MUST be scanned for chip and chipped if not done, council rangers at parks to fine rule breakers and scan dogs for chips etc

I like your idea very much. Also so many dogs disappear even though chipped, vets should scan automatically and check to see if the dog is not only registered, but is it listed as lost (your not allowed to say its stolen)at present the vets never do, unless they are injured and end up at a vets after a road accident do they get scanned. I know that's how one owner got their stolen dog back, he had been missing 3 years.

Edited September 10, 2016 by asal

[Willem]

@karen15:

wrt the number: you also have to consider that Sweden has a much smaller population (less than 10 Mill)...but that's not the point. The point is that approx. 900,000 of these dogs are entire and causing no threat regarding overpopulation at all!

The point is also that de-sexing dogs at young age actually can create behavioural issues - and these dogs ending up in pounds too, and these are actually the dogs that need to be pts!!!...so the RSPCA and all authorities that promote such stupid, science contradicting ideas are actually responsible for the high euthanasia rates! ...according to the last figures for euthanasia the RSPCA published, 4,700 dogs out of 6,765 had to be pts due to behavioural issues!

from the article: ...Responsible ownership and enforced leash laws mean that animals, that aren’t neutered do not breed uncontrollably.

...God I love this sentence....and in Australia "responsible ownership" according to the RSPCA means???

[asal]

@karen15:

wrt the number: you also have to consider that Sweden has a much smaller population (less than 10 Mill)...but that's not the point. The point is that approx. 900,000 of these dogs are entire and causing no threat regarding overpopulation at all!

The point is also that de-sexing dogs at young age actually can create behavioural issues - and these dogs ending up in pounds too, and these are actually the dogs that need to be pts!!!...so the RSPCA and all authorities that promote such stupid, science contradicting ideas are actually responsible for the high euthanasia rates! ...according to the last figures for euthanasia the RSPCA published, 4,700 dogs out of 6,765 had to be pts due to behavioural issues!

from the article: ...Responsible ownership and enforced leash laws mean that animals, that aren’t neutered do not breed uncontrollably.

...God I love this sentence....and in Australia "responsible ownership" according to the RSPCA means???

eliminate breeders or restrict as much as possible how many they can breed so hopefully there will end up so few available there will be less available than people who want them perhaps?

[Willem]

@karen15:

wrt the number: you also have to consider that Sweden has a much smaller population (less than 10 Mill)...but that's not the point. The point is that approx. 900,000 of these dogs are entire and causing no threat regarding overpopulation at all!

The point is also that de-sexing dogs at young age actually can create behavioural issues - and these dogs ending up in pounds too, and these are actually the dogs that need to be pts!!!...so the RSPCA and all authorities that promote such stupid, science contradicting ideas are actually responsible for the high euthanasia rates! ...according to the last figures for euthanasia the RSPCA published, 4,700 dogs out of 6,765 had to be pts due to behavioural issues!

from the article: ...Responsible ownership and enforced leash laws mean that animals, that aren’t neutered do not breed uncontrollably.

...God I love this sentence....and in Australia "responsible ownership" according to the RSPCA means???

eliminate breeders or restrict as much as possible how many they can breed so hopefully there will end up so few available there will be less available than people who want them perhaps?

...would this turn an irresponsible dog owner with an entire dog like me into a responsible dog owner with an entire dog????

[asal]

@karen15:

wrt the number: you also have to consider that Sweden has a much smaller population (less than 10 Mill)...but that's not the point. The point is that approx. 900,000 of these dogs are entire and causing no threat regarding overpopulation at all!

The point is also that de-sexing dogs at young age actually can create behavioural issues - and these dogs ending up in pounds too, and these are actually the dogs that need to be pts!!!...so the RSPCA and all authorities that promote such stupid, science contradicting ideas are actually responsible for the high euthanasia rates! ...according to the last figures for euthanasia the RSPCA published, 4,700 dogs out of 6,765 had to be pts due to behavioural issues!

from the article: ...Responsible ownership and enforced leash laws mean that animals, that aren’t neutered do not breed uncontrollably.

...God I love this sentence....and in Australia "responsible ownership" according to the RSPCA means???

eliminate breeders or restrict as much as possible how many they can breed so hopefully there will end up so few available there will be less available than people who want them perhaps?

...would this turn an irresponsible dog owner with an entire dog like me into a responsible dog owner with an entire dog????

well if there were no entire females left, surely then everyone would suddenly be responsible owners perhaps?

feeling on the silly side tonite, n not even a drop of alcohol in sight, maybe a full moon? too lazy to check outside

we will never make sense of any of it I suspect