Praise all that’s good and furry: the Victorian government has become the first in Australia to outright ban puppy farms.
If you’re not familiar with the barbaric practice, puppy farms or puppy factories keep dogs in absolute squalor, where they’re constantly bred in order to supply pet stores with puppies.
Until now, it’s been 100% legal to keep dozens of dogs in inhumane conditions in order to sate public demand for fluffy puppies in the window.
But now, new legislation will cap the number of fertile female dogs a breeder can keep at 10. If they meet some further requirements and are approved by the Minister for Agriculture, they can keep up to a maximum of 50 fertile females, but it seems like those requirements will be very stringent.
And from July 1 next year, there will be changes in pet stores as well. They’ll only be allowed to sell from approved sources – that means shelters, pounds or foster care, no puppy farms – and they will no longer be allowed to keep puppies in their shop windows.
BREAKING:
We’ve just outlawed puppy farms.
We’re the first state in Australia to do this – because there’s no place for these cruel breeding factories in Victoria.
Tag your (human) mates. Share. Help us get the word out there. pic.twitter.com/GOrNKGGagF
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) December 15, 2017
There’ll also be a new method of tracing cats and dogs established, thanks to the new Pet Exchange Register, which will require breeders, foster carers and anyone else advertising an animal to enrol.
Debra Tranter, founder of Oscar’s Law, the animal welfare group who aggressively pushed for the criminalisation of puppy farms, told reporters:
It’s the end of the days where we see literally hundreds of dogs lined up in sheds, pumping out puppies for the pet market.
A state government spokesperson agreed:
Illegal breeders will have nowhere to hide and will no longer be able to funnel puppies and kittens through pet shops to unsuspecting members of the public.
It’s good news for all furry mates, and all fluff-loving two-legged ones too. If you’ve been meaning to pick up a pooch, why not celebrate this landmark win for animal welfare by adopting one from your local rescue? There’s no better way to drastically improve your life – and to make a difference to the world at large as well.
