Pet Industry Association of Australia –submission summary and introduction
The Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA) welcomes the enquiry into companion animal breeding practices in NSW. PIAA thanks the minister and the committee for the opportunity to give evidence today.
PIAA is a member-based not for profit organisation representing its members across the companion animal industry, including pet shops, boarding kennels, grooming parlours, aquariums, suppliers and breeders. We believe that the welfare of animals is paramount and support responsible breeders and retailers who provide high standards of care and focus on animal health and welfare.
Whether a dog is pure bred or cross bred, or bred by a registered breeder or hobby breeder, PIAA does not condone puppy farms in any shape or form and stands by the RSPCA’s definition that a puppy farm is “an intensive dog breeding facility that is operated under inadequate conditions that fail to meet the dogs’ behavioural, social and/or physiological needs”. We wish to work with the government and relevant bodies to stamp out puppy farms and implement a long term solution that will ensure transparency, compliance and the highest standards of animal welfare.
We are as concerned as many in the community about the numbers of cats and dogs that currently populate our shelters. Whether the public is considering a puppy, a kitten or a rescue animal, it is important to provide an environment where the public can still choose what pet will suit them best. So ideally, we must work towards producing an animal welfare based outcome that allows this to occur.
To date, PIAA and the pet industry at large have been self-regulated. As a small member-based organisation, we have limited resources and although we endorse and expect the highest standards from our members, we acknowledge that much needs to be done in order to ensure that our members are indeed complying with standards and guidelines. Having recently employed a new CEO, we are currently reviewing all policies, codes of practice, standards and guidelines and membership protocols.
We want to be an organisation that the community can have confidence in knowing that animal welfare focus is first and foremost for both our membership and our charter. An association that is transparent and seen as one of the main forces in ensuring quality ethical breeding and sale of all pets.
PIAA believes NSW has a strong code of practice, but the lack of resources and/or ownership has limited the implementation and means that enforcement is based reactively, rather than proactively. Proactive enforcement of regulations would ensure the best welfare outcome for all animals. We strongly believe that the lack of mandatory inspections needs to be addressed within the current legislation.
PIAA agrees that the industry needs regulation at all levels. We believe that all dog breeders should be licensed and we have developed a model dog breeder licensing system which is ‘self- funding’, the funds from which can then be diverted towards implementation and enforcement of the regulations.
This would not be a self-regulated system. It would be enforced by government and funded by industry. Today we are calling for this system to be implemented in NSW with a view to national regulation in the near future.
We believe in a central traceability scheme based on microchipping of all breeder sales, ensuring the origin of all pets can be traced. Puppies must not be advertised or sold or supplied without a microchip which enables identification of the breeder of origin. All advertisements must contain either individual microchip numbers or a breeder license number. The current review of the microchip database and registration process must facilitate trace back of all pets to the original breeder and keep a record of any change in ownership.
We also believe that retail shops are an integral element in successful regulation of breeders and sellers. PIAA also believes that any pet shop selling livestock should be licensed under a ‘self-funding’ scheme.
This has been successfully implemented with the sales and licensing of reptiles in NSW. A process that the industry and other stake holders worked together to produce a successful welfare based outcome.
We do not believe that banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops will improve welfare outcomes. Such a decision may indeed have the opposite effect, forcing many breeders underground and making regulation and enforcement even more difficult. Often the best inspectors are members of the public. Pet shops have a high visibility and are under constant public scrutiny, whereas online, local market, street pole and shopping centre notice board sales are near impossible to monitor let alone regulate.
Pet shops and breeding establishments in NSW are currently regulated and required to comply with legislation and codes of practice. This compliance can only be strengthened further by the implementation of a breeder and pet shop licensing system.
PIAA acknowledges there is an inherent problem in the current system. There is a lack of data in the industry, leading to false claims and allegations based on emotions rather than fact (as we have seen recently in some of the media) which can confuse the community and could well lead to hastily developed solutions that in the long term make the welfare outcome for pets worse not better.
Animal welfare is a complex problem that requires multiple strategies to solve and we look forward to working with government and other relevant animal welfare bodies to bring about the best welfare outcomes for pets in NSW. We welcome this parliamentary enquiry. We want to be part of the solution moving forward and support regulation and implementation of licensing for both breeders and retailers.
Pet Industry Association of Australia –submission summary press release
The PIAA press release on this issue can be accessed here: PIAA Media Release 15 July 2015.
For media enquiries please contact the PIAA office or via ‘Your Feedback’.