With the support of animal welfare groups including the RSPCA, today Clover Moore MP introduced a Bill in Parliament to put an end to impulse buying of pets, reduce the slaughter of unwanted companion animals and put an end to backyard breeders and puppy farms.
The Bill stops the sale of cats and dogs in pet shops in favour of more responsible methods for purchasing pets. Under the Bill people can still buy cats, dogs or other mammals from registered breeders, animal pounds and shelters or their local vet where they will be matched with an animal and provided with detailed, written, information about its special needs and requirements.
“Australia has the highest rate of pet ownership in the world and pets play an important role in our society,” Ms Moore said.
“Most people don’t know that more than 60,000 pets are put down each year in NSW – this does not include animals dumped in national parks that either die of starvation, are killed by other animals, or harm the natural ecosystem.
“Many pets were abandoned because they were bought on impulse as cute puppies and kittens displayed in shops, but had unanticipated costs and responsibilities or were unwanted gifts.
“Pet shops promote impulse buying and irresponsible breeding for profit. They create a demand for animals that can only be met by unscrupulous breeders and “puppy farms” that continue to produce more animals despite the oversupply,” Ms Moore said.
“The RSPCA supports the Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill, which will reduce the oversupply of mammals in NSW by preventing their sale in pet shops, immediately removing the lucrative market for backyard breeders and puppy farms.
“Intense breeding practices involve keeping animals in shocking conditions to breed continuously until they can no longer breed, after which they are killed,” Ms Moore said.
“Impulse buying is acceptable for handbags or shoes, but pet shops sell live, creatures, such as puppies and kittens, which need on-going care and attention.
“The time, effort and cost involved in owning a pet only becomes apparent after the purchase has been made and often pets bought on the impulse are dumped and end up with resource stretched council pounds and animal shelters,” Ms Moore said.
“Pet shops will still be able to sell food and accessories and other animals such as birds and fish, and also act as an agent for animal shelters”, Ms Moore said.
“The RSPCA supports an end to the sale of pets in pet shops to prevent the euthanasia of hundreds of thousands of animals each year and to remove the market for cruel backyard breeding and puppy farms”, Steve Coleman, CEO for the RSPCA NSW.
“This is sound policy that will help ensure thousands of animals will no longer be impulse bought and too often subsequently consigned to being dumped”, Lynda Stoner, Animal Liberation.
“If the sale of pets were banned from pet shops then the thousands of animals dying in pounds every year could be saved”, Verna Simpson, Director Humane Society International.
“Pet shops are encouraging further breeding by purchasing animals from puppy farms and backyard breeders - it's cruel and inhumane and it must stop". June Bird, Say No To Animals in Pet Shops Campaign.
“While there are hundreds of thousands of animals being killed in pounds and shelters each year, it would seem morally untenable to continue the sale of animals in pet shops.”, Joan Papayani, World League for the Protection of Animals Inc.
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