Animal welfare laws in Australia are governed at the state and territory level. As such, there are eight separate animal welfare statutes, all of which seek to prohibit animal cruelty and promote animal welfare within their respective jurisdictions. While the fundamental objectives of the different state and territory laws are…
Puppy farming is considered to be a major animal welfare issue in Australia. The RSPCA has dedicated considerable time and resources to investigating and developing strategies, in conjunction with key stakeholders, for how this practice may be brought to an end. Animal management and animal welfare laws must be amended…
Most farm animal welfare issues are the responsibility of State and Territory governments. If you are concerned about the way animals are reared, transported or slaughtered for food or fibre and you would like to see a change in government regulation and an improvement in animal welfare, one of the…
An “Ag-gag” law is the name given to legislation designed to curb the rise in animal activist monitoring and investigative activities within the livestock sector. Proposals to introduce such legislation first arose in the United States in the late 1990s. In the few US states where these laws have been…
Animal welfare laws in Australia are governed at the state and territory level and every jurisdiction has its own animal welfare Act. These animal welfare Acts may also call up or refer to industry-specific standards and guidelines or codes of practice, such as the Model Codes of Practice for the…
Exporting livestock for slaughter in foreign countries poses significant and unavoidable risks to animal welfare. These risks are inherent to the trade and include the stress and distress caused by loading ruminant grazing animals onto ships to be sent on long voyages and subjected to unfamiliar feed, extreme changes in…
Penalties for animal cruelty offences vary in each jurisdiction, but all have provisions for jail terms and fines. The maximum penalties outlined in the table below can apply to both deliberate and negligent acts of animal cruelty (except for those prescribed under the NSW Crimes Act as specified below). As…
In 2004, the cosmetic tail docking of dogs was banned nationwide. This means that a veterinary surgeon must not dock a dog’s tail unless it is for a therapeutic purpose or in the dog’s best interests to do so. The relevant provisions are set out in the table below: The…
The RSPCA is opposed to the use of any electronically activated devices which deliver electric shocks (e.g., anti-barking collars, invisible boundaries) or other aversive stimuli (e.g., high-pitched sounds, citronella). Such devices involve punishment, and inflict pain, fear and discomfort. * Information current as of 19 December 2022. This information is…
Under regulation 4W of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 (Cth), the importation into Australia of cat or dog fur is prohibited unless the importer is authorised by the Minister for Immigration and Boarder Protection. However, the use of cat or dog fur is not expressly banned within Australia. The…