Animal Care Australia’s (ACA) President, Michael Donnelly & Dog Representative, Kylie Gilbert provided evidence at the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Puppy Farming in NSW,
Animal Care Australia Opening Statement:
Good morning,
Chair – I ask that this statement and related survey results be tabled.
I am Michael Donnelly – President of Animal Care Australia or ACA, and I am joined today by Kylie Gilbert – ACA Dog Representative. ACA represents keepers and breeders of animals nationally, our goal is to promote and encourage high standards in all interactions with the animals in our care.
“There are an estimated 200 puppy farms located in NSW … which is a legal operation producing 103,000 puppies annually” (Emma Hurst 2/4/22)
“Dogs are often living in filth, deprived of social interaction … with animals kept in squalid conditions and forced to breed and produce litters until they can no longer cope.”
(Emma Hurst 2/4/22)
“… dogs are often kept in small, empty crates for most of their life without ever seeing the daylight.” (Emma Hurst 2/4/22)
Those are not statements from ACA – they are Ms Hurst’s words from an article1 dated April 2nd 2022 in the Daily Mail UK.
“Most puppy farms are secretive and out of public view and are almost impossible for authorities to locate … there are likely thousands of dogs living in squalid conditions on these puppy farms, but because of secrecy of the industry … it’s impossible to know exactly how many there really are.” (Emma Hurst 2/4/22)
Also from the same article! So which is it? We have an actual estimate with a very specific number of puppies, or the industry is so secretive it is IMPOSSIBLE to know?
Rather than play the speculation game I’d like to focus on some facts.
Fact: The very conditions described by Ms Hurst in that article are NOT legal – they directly defy welfare standards outlined in both POCTAA and the Breeding Code of Practice. Poor food, squalid conditions, mass breeding, restrictive confinement, and so on. All illegal in NSW.
Fact: The description outlined in that article and social media propaganda produced focusses on what the general public find abhorrent, but nowhere in any legislation or even the Terms of Reference for this Inquiry is an agreed definition of what an actual puppy farm is.
Fact: It is agreed no-one likes ‘puppy farms’ but what is a puppy farm? ACA’s own social media posts have seen an array of opinions. That array and the lack of a definition will have resulted in many submissions that would be based on ideological and perfect world responses, and not the reality of the problem.
ACA is appalled by the idea of puppy farming, but in the real world the primary issue we should be focused on is educating breeders and the public on what are ethical breeders and what they offer as opposed to the unethical breeders who blatantly disregard all laws and act immorally.
Fact: ACA recently surveyed all Councils in NSW – provided to you today – seeking data on the total number of DAs, and DAs in the past 3 years, both rejected and approved for what Council refer to as ‘dog breeding facilities’. We received 84 responses from 128 Councils. The majority reported no ‘puppy farms’ – err – breeding facilities, and most of the others just 1 or 2 facilities. In addition, just 15 new breeding facilities state-wide were recorded in the past 3 years.
Based on the results of our survey, combined with the RSPCA NSW puppy farm taskforce experience, leads ACA to seriously question whether there is a significant ‘puppy farm’ problem at all, and, in particular, is this problem deserving of the funding and attention it currently receives?
Fact: The great migration across the border into NSW is not proven. Of the 10 Councils on the border, 8 of whom responded, only 3 DAs have been identified in the past 3 years – one facility being the Moama facility is well known to authorities.
Where is the evidence Councils are inundated? Underground/secretive puppy farmers wont apply for DAs!
Fact: While on Councils, those in Victoria are now refusing to approve the Excess Animal Permits that allow for retired older animals to remain with their forever families. They are forcing them to give up or euthanise their animals. Legislative sanctioned forced rehoming and killing! Councils should not be playing as compliance officers in this manner, and NSW Councils will be given full control if the current Puppy Farm Amendment has its way.
Fact: The proposed NSW Puppy Farm amendment requires all excess dogs to be desexed if they are to be kept. It also requires all non-breeding bitches to undergo a hysterectomy as an 8 week old pup or kitten – not cruel correct? Yet during this past month’s Inquiry into Animal Welfare the AJP and cohorts opposed surgical AI – a surgical procedure of far less implication than a hysterectomy. A major hypocrisy! One is cruel – but the other isn’t?
Fact: The Amendment doesn’t even fit within the NSW Companion Animals Act which centres on the registration and management of dogs and cats to ensure they do not cause nuisance, endanger or otherwise affect neighbourhood amenity.
Fact: The placing of restrictions on the numbers of bitches, and age of breeding males etc only
incentivises the unethical breeders. It’s simple to understand: Less puppies annually equals higher demand which equals higher sales price which incentivises greedy breeders. Simply put – anti-puppy farm legislation equals MORE puppy farms. This has been proven in Victoria during the Covid pandemic, with the media releases from the RSPCA Victoria and the shelter industry in Victoria.
Final Fact: Unethical breeders or puppy farms are not going anywhere regardless of the outcomes of this Inquiry. The only real way of reducing them is to educate the public. When was the last time you saw an advertisement from any government on responsible pet buying or responsible pet breeding? Want to stop the unethical breeders – then pull them out of the shadows by educating the public and leave the responsible breeders alone.
Thank you for this opportunity, we welcome any questions.
Animal Care Australia Closing Statement:
Animal Care Australia does not support regulations that will further restrict breeders who are doing the right thing by their animals.
So called Puppy Farm regulations only penalise the ethical breeders and incentivise the rest. It’s time the public are educated in responsible pet ownership.
Welfare education over regulation is the best solution.
Originally published: June 2022 ACE Newsletter.
