A groundbreaking new research into puppy farming in Australia has as its targets those who mistreat animals and shady pet stores that serve as fronts for terrible home breeders.
According to the study, which was presented to the NSW Parliament on Thursday, producers of popular breeds like French bulldogs and pugs who sell pets bred with dangerous qualities may be required to pay for costly life-saving surgery.
The investigation was started in November to look into a measure proposed by vegan bodybuilder and Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who wants to tighten the laws governing breeders.
The Puppy Farming in New South Wales study had 18 suggestions, some of which aimed to fix the legal gaps that unscrupulous backyard breeders in NSW are taking advantage of.
Any person convicted of animal cruelty would be prohibited from operating a breeding business in NSW under one such loophole.
According to Ms. Hurst, the laws in place at the moment allow for this.
In one instance, despite having been found guilty on 18 counts of animal abuse, an Inverell man was permitted to carry on operating a breeding facility with more than 100 dogs.
Another gap that proponents of animal rights want closed would prevent anybody who has been barred from breeding in another state from relocating their business to NSW.
Our present animal protection rules, according to Ms Hurst, “have been exposed as being terrible. In NSW, we are failing to protect companion animals from acts of cruelty.”
We must ensure that anybody found guilty of animal cruelty is never permitted to operate an animal breeding facility.
Moving NSW closer to a partial ban on “baby-faced” breeds, which includes some of Australia’s most popular dog options, is one of animal welfare groups’ key goals.
In the case of French bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels, for instance, they have criticized the brutal selective breeding for ‘cuteness’.
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) supports a prohibition on breeding and showing for any dog whose muzzle length is “less than a third of its skull length” due to the pain it causes the animal.
According to Ms. Hurst, “We absolutely need to be breeding deleterious genes back out of these dogs.”
It has gotten so out of hand that animals are now suffering continuously, and urgent action is required.
A backyard dog breeder last week boasted about his fortune on social media after making huge earnings selling pets online.
The breeder, Anthony, encourages people to establish a dog breeding company by filming himself throwing literally thousands of dollars in $50 bills on a bed before dressing up.
He said that he was earning enough money from selling Cavoodle pups to support a $20,000 monthly lifestyle that included posh automobiles, extravagant trips abroad, and opulent meals at pricey restaurants.
Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel hybrid Cavoodle pups may fetch up to $6,000 apiece in Sydney.
As a “front” for puppy farms, shady pet stores, according to Ms. Hurst, ought to be made to conduct their business responsibly or be outlawed.
She noted that many large chain pet shops have modified their business practices to sell rescue animals, but many have refused and still offer pets that were purchased from breeders.
She said that there is a strong likelihood that many pets sold in pet stores came from backyard breeders and puppy farms.
“We want it to be illegal.”
The upper house committee that oversaw the investigation concluded that there should be restrictions on how many dogs a breeder may own.
More than 900 contributions were made to the investigation, according to Mick Veitch, head of the Select Committee on Puppy Farming in NSW, and 6,000 people answered an online survey.
There is no denying that puppy and kitten farming, at its worst, is a repugnant activity, with the perpetrators typically working in secret, the man stated.
Activists for animal rights want puppy farms to be prohibited.
Puppies held in institutions where they are confined, sometimes in filthy circumstances, without socialization, exercise, or access to veterinary care are condemned to a life of brutality.
These dogs continue to have litters until they are physically unable to do so, and the pups they produce may be born with physical deformities or diseases as a result of improper breeding techniques or inadequate nutrition.
The treatment of cats in kitten farms is likewise terrible, despite being a smaller business.
Party for Animal Justice
The survey discovered that as the number of dogs increased, the less probable it was that a breeder could ensure their wellbeing.
Without enforcing personnel ratios and animal socialization standards, it would be difficult to ensure the wellbeing of animals at industrial-scale breeding operations.
According to the research, the government should implement an expanded liability policy that would make breeders liable for congenital or hereditary health problems that manifest within the first year of an animal’s existence.
One loyal dog owner told Daily Mail Australia that she had to spend $200,000 on surgery to correct the horrific health problems that her pet had as a result of unethical breeding techniques.
Since Maureen Elvy acquired Phoebe in 2017, the French bulldog has had spinal, airway, and vaginal surgery as well as ongoing immunotherapy, which costs $2,000 every session.
Larger breeders had moved over the border as a result of stricter rules that had been implemented in Victoria and Western Australia and were anticipated to be implemented in South Australia, the inquest heard.
The policy environment in Australia is changing, and communities in NSW, particularly border towns, are being impacted, according to Mr. Veitch.
The NSW government must take action to alleviate this effect and stay up with the evolving societal standards for animal care.
Before bringing their dogs into their homes, consumers needed confirmation that they had been responsibly raised and well-cared for, according to Mr. Veitch.
The committee was worried that those who had been convicted of animal cruelty may still have children.
Another area where rules needed to be strengthened was potentially unlawful and convoluted breeding arrangements, when individuals return their pet to breed or birth a litter.
The committee advises that the government swiftly adopt its own laws if Ms. Hurst’s proposal is unsuccessful.
Additional guidelines on breeding practices, restrictions on the amount of animals and litters a breeder may produce, and greater support for organizations that promote animal welfare are among the other proposals.
The issue with canine breeds that have brachycephalic or flat faces
The dogs’ faces have been overly flattened as a consequence of selective breeding for attractiveness; nevertheless, this has several negative health repercussions, including breathing problems.
Implications on health include:
BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) and anomalies of the vertebral body
The animal’s capacity to breathe, move about, control its body temperature, sleep, play, and engage in other typical behaviors is impacted by BOAS.
The cork screw tail selection leads to aberrant vertebral bodies, which may cause neurological problems.
The breeds that BOAS is particularly concerned about are:
- French bulldog
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- Pug
- Boston terrier
- British bulldog
Breeding for “corkscrew” tails, which may result in spinal and neurological problems, is another subject of concern.
