The West Australian Government has passed new legislation to help crack downon puppy farming across the state.

The new laws include mandatory sterilisation of dogs by two years of ageunless exempt, a requirement for consumers to receive information at purchaseabout where dogs have come from, the transition of pet shops into adoptioncentres, and the de-muzzling of pet greyhounds.

Mark McGowan, WA Premier, said puppy farming is a cruel practice that putscommercial gain over the welfare of dogs and that stamping this out is apriority for the WA Government.

“Dogs are an important part of many WA families and we should be doing what wecan to make sure they’re looked after and treated well.”

Over 5,000 submissions were received during consultation on the legislationwith overwhelming support in the community.

Part of the new laws also includes the creation of a centralised registrationsystem run by local governments to hold information on dogs, cats, andapproved breeders, to assist with monitoring and enforcement.

“These laws mean we can trace a dog throughout its life and give peopleconfidence their pet is coming from a reputable breeder that treats animalswith care and dignity.”

John Carey, Local Government Minister, said the legislation is going to helpidentify dodgy or illegal breeders and shut down their operations, and praisedthe creation of the registration system.

“Having a centralised registration system is also going to ease the regulatoryburden on local governments and dog owners, as people won’t have to re-register dogs if they move into a new council area.”

Tagged: puppy farming, west australia

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