I've made a submission about puppy farms

Here's what I wrote to the Government of Victoria in response to the draft code about puppy and kitten breeding. It's not an exhaustive list of my concerns, but I've noted the things that concern me most.

I hope this letter might encourage others in Victoria to read the RSPCA site and look at the draft code and send in their own responses. ASAP!
 We only have until 9am on 14th August.

I began with my full name, address and email address. Then I wrote:

• This is a submission in response to the Proposed Code and Regulatory Impact Statement regarding the Code of Practice for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Businesses.
•  My main concerns are:
• Euthanasia – I believe the code needs to specifically define what ‘humane’ methods consist of.
•  Pens should not have any part of their flooring made of wire. Based on my experience of my own dog’s reactions, walking or stepping onto wire is painful for small animals.
•  I am disappointed that business hours have been reduced to eight hours a day. Leaving pregnant animals for sixteen hours a day under the supervision of minimal staffing numbers is not safe. I don’t see how a staff member manning a business overnight for sixteen hours would be available to make sure puppies in the specified categories are fed at least every 12 hours.
•  Breeding between second-generation related animals is not acceptable.
•  I believe you should set a maximum breeding age, so that animals are not condemned to spending their entire lives in these places.
•  It would be better to set maximum litter numbers for both females and males.
•  The feeding of raw offal needs to be specifically monitored to make sure animals do not become ill on this diet.
•  We need stronger legislation about the standards and guidelines for retirement of animals.
•  I don’t see provision for temperature regulation. Victoria is a very hot place in summer and cold in winter.
•  I hope these suggestions will be helpful to you in the next redrafting of the code.

We want Oscar's Law to be implemented fully

I'm feeling wrung out, because I've just watched all the video clips on the Oscar's Law site. It's a site devoted to the fight to abolish the cruel trade of puppy farming.

Today I attended the Oscar's Law rally on the steps of the Victorian Parliament.

After listening to the speakers, I gathered that there has been a law passed in Victoria, but there have not been any prosecutions. (I'm not entirely sure I've got that right, but I did understand from all speakers that the government has not followed up on their promises with either money or resources.)

When I forced myself to watch the videos, I was disappointed to realise that we haven't ended the conditions in which dogs are starving to death, dying of preventable cancers, going insane, suffering endlessly.

I thought the suggestion in the following clip sounded helpful  - that puppies should have to come with certification that says the breeding facility has been inspected by the RSPCA and is suitable and humane.

WARNING: the video segment is very sad and disturbing.



Here are a few photos from the rally:

this little puppy won't be crate trained

A friend sent me a link to this lovely article and I have to pass it on, in case there is someone out there who hasn't read it already.

I had just read a terrible article about a rescue from a puppy factory here in Victoria and was feeling lower than low, so getting this amusing link right after that was a real mood lifter. This little puppy will have a great life. I only hope she didn't come from a puppy farm.

more about the Oscar's Law rally

At the rally on the steps of State Parliament today we listened to a variety of inspiring and interesting speakers, about the horrors of puppy farming.





Then we set off along the street to Treasury Gardens. I think it's important to take to the streets when holding a rally, because in stopping the traffic, or diverting it, we show that as a society we are willing to take time out from normal life to think about an important issue - in this case, the fact that Australia is disgraced every time a dog suffers in the hell of a puppy factory.



When we reached the gardens, there were lots of marquees representing the organisations devoted to the welfare of animals. Great to see so many exist!







I've brought home the hand sign we held at the rally and put it on my letter box. Maybe people passing by our house will wonder what 'Oscar's Law' is. This is what the Oscar's Law petition asks of our political leaders:

To the Legislative assembly of Victoria The petition of the residents of Victoria brings to the attention of the House the hidden industry behind the pet shop window. Puppy factories farm puppies and sell them to pet shops and trade them online. The dogs are often kept in cramped filthy conditions for their entire lives and their behavioural needs are never met. The dogs not only suffer physically but are psychologically traumatised due to confinement and constant breeding, when they are no longer able to breed they are killed and replaced.
The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria support Oscar's Law and abolish puppy factories and ban the sale of factory farmed companion animals from pet shops and online.

On the Dogs Life site I read an overview of the debate about the sale of puppies in pet shops and thought it covered the subject well.

Oscar's Law - ban puppy farms

When I went to the City today to join in the rally against puppy farms, I left Penny at home. But plenty of others took their dogs.







Sitting in the sunshine, I chatted to the lady next to me about the fact that it's hard to see images of suffering dogs.



But we agreed -and one of the speakers emphasised - that we have to face the awful truth that terrible things happen to dogs so that we can buy cute puppies in pet shops. The rally was urged to make a resolution never to buy a dog from a pet shop.