Paws for Laws

Credit to Hawkesbury Gazette

WITH the number of unwanted pets killed in NSW each year estimated to be the size of the Hawkesbury’s population, animal welfare groups are determined that proposed legislation to stop pet shop animal sales gets up.

Heat over the issue escalated last month when 70 animal welfare activists rallied at Parliament House in Macquarie Street on Wednesday, May 7 to show their support for the Bill.

Hawkesbury animal re-homing body ‘Operation Toby’s’ founder, Jordan Kelly, said the 60,000 kill figure is probably a “gross underestimation” and that it was time to stop the slaughter by writing to our MPs to support the Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill.

Ms Kelly said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s Bill, currently undergoing amendments before being debated in Parliament, would have a doubly-positive impact.

“Firstly it would put a stop to puppy breeding mills and other unscrupulous breeding practices, and secondly it would see those animals who end up in pounds given a far greater chance of finding a home,” Ms Kelly said.

“If this Bill becomes law it will set a socially responsible example for the rest of the country to follow.”

Ms Moore’s office said in a nutshell, the Bill proposes to:

• Ban the sale of mammals in pet shops and markets;
• Restrict advertising to shelters, pounds, recognised breeders and vets that re-home; and
• Ensure information on the care of the animal is provided at the time of sale.

Lord Mayor Moore said pet shops would still be able to sell birds and fish, as well as pet food and accessories.

“Pet shops have been responding to changing community attitudes towards live animal sales as well as the growing accessory markets, and many now run profitable businesses without selling live animals at all,” Lord Mayor Moore said.

“They will also be able to keep mammals in shops on behalf of animal shelters, provided that the mammals are returned to shelters for final sale.”

Ms Kelly was particularly incensed at a new payment plan offered by a large pet store chain to make it even easier for customers to ‘impulse buy’.

“How irresponsible is this – Pets World have just introduced a ‘buy now, pay later’ scheme where you pay 40 per cent deposit of the cost of an animal when you buy it, and pay the remainder over six months,” she said.

“If they can’t afford the say, $280 purchase price of the animal, how are they going to pay the $350 vet bill when it gets sick? Or the cost of desexing it?

“As a society we need to be more responsible – these animals aren’t consumer items – they’re living creatures, not tins of baked beans. We need people to swamp MPs with letters indicating their support for the Bill.”

Manager of independent business Market Pet Shop at North Richmond, Aaron Randall, said his business supports some parts of the Bill, but that others were ludicrous.

“One part of it says all mammals sold have to be microchipped – this includes mice, rats, ferrets and guinea pigs” he said.

“I think overall the Bill needs more looking at.” Mr Randall said he thought the main problem was the cost of desexing and that the government should subsidise it.

“It costs up to $200 to have an animal desexed, and a lot of people can’t afford that,” he said.
“We’d be happy to sell animals that are de-sexed, but we sell them at eight or nine weeks old, and vets won’t usually desex until five months.”

If you would like to show your support for the Bill, website http://www.pawsforaction.com has easy templates of letters you can use and submit to your MP.

Ms Moore’s office told The Gazette if the Bill doesn’t come up for debate in Parliament by the end of June, it won’t be able to come up then until September, when Parliament resumes.

Posted in: ban pet shop sales on Monday, September 8, 2008 at at 8:13 PM