Animal Welfare League NSW welcomes the news of a Parliamentary Inquiry into NSW puppy factories.
The Inquiry, announced by NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair, will review existing breeding practices across the state and then table recommendations to the NSW Government.
As well as considering a ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores, the inquiry will also investigate limiting the number of dogs allowed to be kept by breeders, and the introduction of a breeder licensing system.
AWL has been lobbying for the introduction of a Breeder Licensing Scheme for several years now, and believes that all dog breeders should be licensed and subject to inspection by an independent animal protection body to prevent the cruelty so often seen with puppy farming.
“Our Inspectors often have to deal with small backyard breeders that go under the radar because they are not as prominent as the big breeders. These breeders may only have a small number of breeding bitches, but the conditions that they are living in can often be atrocious and out of sight” says AWL Chief Inspector Ian Hughes.
“The majority of the hundreds of puppies that are to be seen for sale online come from small breeders. A scheme where a full inspection would be required before a licence is granted and a licence required to advertise puppies for sale, would certainly help with clearing out many of those breeders who simply do not care about the welfare of those breeding animals. As a consequence it would certainly reduce the number of puppies bred” adds Inspector Hughes.
A Breeders Licencing Scheme would also provide a ‘welfare tick of approval’ for ethical breeders – making it easier for members of the public to determine where they adopt their pets, and leading to higher welfare standards for breeding animals and their offspring.
AWL looks forward to seeing improvements in the industry, and a significant reduction in cruel intensive and backyard breeding.