Friday 9 November 2007

ask politicians what they think of selling dogs in pet shops

We've got an election coming up in Australia. Why don't we ask the candidates what they think about the indiscriminate sale of dogs in pet shops? Federal elections are about Australia-wide issues, and I think the killing of innocent pets is a blight on our society.

This post is prompted by the fact that I just saw a link from Bark Blog to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about a proposal by independent MP Clover Moore to ban the sale of cats and dogs in pet shops.

Here are a few excerpts from the proposed Bill:
Australia has the highest rate of pet ownership in the world. Yet the most recent statistics of the Department of Local Government show that more than 60,000 dogs and cats are killed each year in New South Wales alone. Those numbers do not include animals dumped in national parks where domestic animals die of starvation, are killed by other animals or harm the natural ecosystem...

This number does not include other animals such as rabbits, mice and guinea pigs that are put down...

...the Say No to Animals in Pet Shops organisation...claims there is a link between pet shops and the enormous number of animals killed every year at pounds and shelters. Its claim is supported by other animal welfare and advocate groups and has wide community support. That is because pet shops promote impulse buying and irresponsible breeding for profit...

The Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill will protect the lives and wellbeing of dogs, cats and other mammals by prohibiting their sale in pet shops, fairs and markets. It will prevent the impulse purchasing of mammals by restricting sales to registered breeders, pounds, animal shelters and veterinarians where animals will be appropriately matched with buyers, who will be informed about special needs and requirements. Mammals will only be able to be kept at shops or markets and offered for sale if they are kept on behalf of animal shelters and returned to the shelter at night...

Only recently in Australia have pet shops become major suppliers of companion animals to the public. Previously animals were generally acquired either from breeders or, more commonly, from surplus litters in informal networks...

Impulse buying is acceptable for handbags or shoes, but pet shops sell live sentient beings, such as puppies and kittens, which need ongoing care and attention. Unlike most animal shelters, pet shops do not ensure there is a suitable match between animal and purchaser. An inappropriate choice of an animal can result in neglect of the animal...

Animal behaviourists claim that a pet shop is an inherently stressful environment for an animal. This is because the animal is often too young to be taken away from its mother and is subject to constant handling and lack of quiet times. Animal behaviourists say that this can lead to depressed immune systems and illness...

[Pet shops] sell animals without identification or microchip and without screening the new owner...

...a civil society would act to prevent this cruelty and reduce the number of unwanted animals that are killed or die of starvation or disease. It is a sobering fact that the average lifespan of a dog in Australia is two years.
Click here for the whole text of the Bill.

For some years I kept jacky dragons. Because they are protected native Australian animals it is necessary to have a licence to keep them and I had to keep a log-book about any changes in my ownership of them, for instance, whether I had changed the place where I kept them, or one had died, or they'd had young. Each year I sent in a form to the Government detailing this information.

It seems that dogs suffer from the fact that they are not a 'precious resource' like jacky dragons. Anyone can walk into a pet shop and buy one on impulse.

I'd like to know what my local candidates think about that.

4 comments:

Amber-Mae said...

We do not support buying pets in pet shops either! most of them in pet shops are not fully vaccinated or dewormed altho they say they did it, not well cared for & are usually sick. Many owners who buy puppy from irresponsible pet shops, most of them are really sick & usually die the next day or so. The owners of the pet shop will deny & defend themselves but actually they are guilty of not taking good care of the pups. My mommy said, if she does open a pet shop & if she does want to sell puppies, she will make sure that they are registered, well cared, fully vaccinated, dewormed, are from good responsible home breeders & so on, so on. She will not simply go get cheap puppies from backyard breeders or puppy mills. My mommy cares & is not like one of those pet shop owners who just want to make quick bucks. But this is only IF she wants to open one. Not now ofcourse. She's not an OB instructor for basic classes. She said she enjoys her job alot...

Love licks,
Solid Gold Dancer

parlance said...

Amber-Mae, I think that this law will mean that pet shop owners cannot even sell from registered breeders, only from shelters and Council pounds (that's our local government department that collects lost dogs). The puppies have to go back to the shelter each night and can't be left in the petshop alone.

Do you think that shops should be allowed to sell from registered breeders? The trouble is, if that were allowed, the puppies would still be taken from their mothers and would be kept in those horrible glass cages.

What do you think?

Amber-Mae said...

Hmmm, I'm very sure that my country allows selling pets from registered breeders coz Chloe was bought from a pet shop(Pet Safari, the one we always hang out at) by her previous owners. Chloe's breeder is a registered breeder & he is a responsible breeder but I'm not sure why he sold Chloe to that pet shop. She also has a cert but her first owners lost it & my hooman M has just paid MKA(Malaysian Kennel Association) to make a new cert.

Ofcourse responsible breeders must also check on the pet shop owner, whether he/she's responsible or not or will the pups be locked in a small glass cubicle all day or will they be brought out to socialize with other or go for walks & whether they will really take good care of them or not. Right now, all pet shops are buying cheap pups from puppy mills or backyard breeders with no certs. Quite a number of pups in Pet Safari have no cert for some reason.

I don't see anything wrong from from buying a pup from a responsible breeder & selling it at a pet shop. Just as long as the pet shop owner is not just selling the puppy to make money. I mean if you want to sell in the pet shop, go ahead but be responsible for it. The breeder of that pup should also come back often & check on the pup. Most of them don't coz they don't care about the pups. They already got their money in their hands...

If my mommy wants to sell pups when she does open a pet shop, IF only, then she will make sure she gets good pups from responsible breeders & the breeders are always welcome to come back & check on their pups. MKA should also check all pet shops whether they are suitable to sell pups or not.

Love licks,
Solid Gold Dancer

parlance said...

That's interesting, Amber-Mae. I know that if your mum was selling dogs they would be looked after really well.
I think the issue is perhaps not to ban pet-shop sales, but to make sure there are plenty of inspectors, with power to close the shop, if necessary, to make sure conditions are good for the puppies.