By: Kyle James | 12-15-2017 | News
Photo credit: Volodymyr Melnyk | Dreamstime

Victoria Bans All Puppy Sales And Makes Pet Shops Become Rescue Shelters

The state of Victoria in Australia has now banned the selling of puppies after new laws passed in the Victorian Parliament and limited the number of dogs that breeders are allowed to keep.

The bill passed Friday in a tight 19-17 upper house vote on the new laws introduced by the Andrews government. The new laws were cheered by welfare group Oscar's Law and the organization's founder, Debra Tranter. "Today's an incredible victory," she said.

Ms. Tranter went on to say, "For the first time anywhere in Australia we've got a cap on the number of dogs that puppy farms are allowed to keep. 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."

Instead, Ms. Tranter says pet shops will now become adoption centers for rescue dogs who will benefit from the changes. The new laws take effect April 2020 and will limit breeders to a maximum of 50 fertile female dogs. Also, breeders with more than 10 female dogs will have to seek ministerial approval and be subject to stricter regulations.

Victoria's Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said, "This means that that puppy in the shop window will be a thing of the past in Victoria and puppy farms that have been a real blight on our society and our community … will be a thing of the past."

Advocates from the group Oscar's Law gathered with tears of joy after winning the vote. The dog rights group is named after Ms. Tranter's toy poodle Oscar who was a stud at a puppy factory before she adopted him.

Cradling the tiny 11-year-old dog, Ms. Tranter said, "He inspired the campaign. He spent the first five years of his life in a shed, supplying puppies for pet shops."

RSPCA chief executive Liz Walker highlighted an issue with the way things were before saying, "If we don't know where a kitten or pup was bred, we can't possibly know what conditions they or their mum have been living in."

<i>On Twitter:</i>

<a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinProduction">@ErvinProduction</a>

Tips? Info? Send me a message!

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/an-incredible-victory-pet-shops-banned-from-selling-puppies-20171215-h05eph.html

Share this article
Thoughts on the above story? Comment below!
0 comment/s
What do you think about this article?
Name
Comment *
Image

Recent News

Popular Stories