WA’s Premier, Mark McGowan, has suggested legislation to ban the purchase of puppies from pet shops and outlaw the activities of illegal breeders.

Gone could be the days of strolling Westfield, distracted by miserable puppies scratching on the glass and hiding underneath shredded paper.

The legislation aims to reduce illegal puppy farming, encourage better welfare for dogs, and support humane breeding practices and responsible pet ownership.

McGowan said in a statement:

“The new laws will mean dogs can be traced throughout their lives through a central registration system, allowing authorities to identify dodgy or illegal breeders and shut down their operations.

“We will also be providing assistance to pet shops to help them transition to dog and puppy adoption centres, meaning they can re-home displaced and abandoned dogs.”

Lisa Baker, the Maylands MLA and Puppy Farming Working Group chair, revealed that certain pet shops in Western Australia had been sourcing thousands of puppies from illegal farms. As well as that, there are over 3000 dogs taken into rescue organisations in WA every year. THREE THOUSAND. YELL IT LOUDER.

RSPCA’s WA Chairwoman Lynne Bradshaw said that this legislation comes as the biggest improvement to animal welfare in the state for 20 years. “Right now, dog breeding is totally unregulated and anyone can breed as many puppies as they want,” she added.

The RSPCA is urging dog lovers to approach their local government to stress the importance of these laws and ensure the legislation is passed promptly.

Yip yip, woof, bork, rawr, boof, happy dog noises etc.

Source: https://happymag.tv/wa-to-ban-illegal-dog-breeding/ – Feb 2020