Dogs NSW, the state’s peak purebred breeding body, has warned that the Animal Justice Party’s (AJP) Puppy Farms bill will have a devastating effect on the entire pet industry.
Dogs NSW believe that AJP’s Companion Animals Amendment Bill will create a scarcity of pups and dogs, increase prices, and foster a black-market trade that undermines animal welfare.
Lyn Brand, President of Dogs NSW, said the bill is misguided, draconian and will decimate the breeding and exhibition of purebred dogs and cats, and will have next to no effect on puppy farm operations, which the organisation is firmly against.
“We are astounded by the Animal Justice Party’s lack of insight. Their Bill would create huge incentives for unlicensed backyard operators that make it impossible to regulate breeding conditions and animal welfare.
“This badly flawed Bill has missed the mark – it will actually have the effect of being anti-animal, with destructive consequences for the professional breeders, owners and hobbyists represented by Dogs NSW.”
Amongst the changes proposed in the bill are the banning of pet shops, a maximum of two litters for any breeding dog, desexing of males at six, an enforcement regime with fines/penalties of $110,000 and two-year jail terms, and a staffing ratio of one person to five animals which is higher than the ratio of nurses to residents in aged care.
Dogs NSW claim that the flow-on effects of the bill will damage business and cause job losses among suppliers and services such as veterinarians, feed establishments, and other providers.
“We submit this Bill is a blatant attempt to destroy a whole culture at the heart of the Australian way of life. It will have a seriously destabilising impact on society. For many members of Dogs NSW, breeding, exhibition, and sporting activities provide the social network for their life. Losing it will lead to social isolation, loneliness and the loss of sense of community,” said Brand.