Opinion Piece In Sydney Morning Herald - Puppy Farms

[Curlybert]

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/whe...0806-11nra.html

WHERE IS THE REGULATION ON PUPPY FARMS

Every election begins as a race to become the campaign's self-declared underdog, as to whether this gives any party a psychological upper-hand is yet to be determined. In our eyes there is only one underdog, in the true sense of the term.

This underdog has four legs and a tail. She is used as a breeding machine and her offspring are sold to satisfy demand for cute puppies in the pet retail market. This underdog is one of thousands bred indiscriminately in Australia's puppy farm industry.

Think of a battery cage, put a dog in there and that's essentially what I'm talking about. Puppy farmers will sell to anyone – through pet shops, online, through newspapers, at markets and even out of car boots. The advent of internet sales has fueled this industry.

Fixing the problem is an uphill battle for the RSPCA because no matter how inappropriate we find these establishments, the law by and large allows them to operate. This is the great irony of being the RSPCA. Our inspectors spend their days enforcing laws that we rarely think go far enough to adequately protect the health and welfare of breeding dogs or their puppies.

One of our more recent cases near Sydney really knocked the wind out of everyone who attended. The stench from this puppy farm was so overwhelming that we had to bring in industrial-sized fans and wear breathing equipment. The ammonia build was so great it literally left you breathless – yet animals were living and breeding in these conditions for their entire lives. One dog was in a cardboard box with a number of puppies dead around her. She still had a pup lodged in her birth canal and had been in labour for more than six hours. Two other pups had been tied together with electrical cable, one of them suffocated to death. Perched on a cluttered cabinet above was a malnourished cat and her newborn kittens. These creatures were destined for the pet retail market where they were being sold to an unsuspecting public — 190 were rescued, many were pregnant and sadly, some were beyond saving.

It would be nice to be able to say that this seizure was an isolated incident. But the puppy farming industry is booming and is one of the greatest animal welfare challenges the RSPCA faces. Politically it should be an easy sell and it is actually a relatively easy fix. We need enforceable regulation of the breeding and selling of dogs. We need local governments to make puppy breeders meet high standards and enforce these standards properly. We need the Commonwealth to tighten up export provisions for the sale of dogs overseas and for the Australian Tax Office to report suspected puppy farmers.

We are a nation of dog lovers and this election gives us another chance to show it. Make your vote count for the real underdogs this election by becoming a Political Animal and ask your local federal representatives to do the same.

(Heather Neil, who wrote this piece, is chief executive of RSPCA Australia.)

[chriswiddler]

The suffering of dogs in puppy farms is miniscule to the suffering caused by the RSPCA to companion animals and their owners Australia wide. Killing dogs primarily on looks (animal abuse in my mind). We need independant verification on all they claim as mostly it is media spin for donations. In my opinion they shpold be like Mothers Against Drink Driving they should simply be a lobby group and enforcement should be left to the police who don't have a conflict of interest, perceived or real.

[frufru]

The police in my area already have too much to do!!! Not a solution JMO

I thougth the article was very worthwhile.

Edited August 9, 2010 by frufru

[Curlybert]

The suffering of dogs in puppy farms is miniscule to the suffering caused by the RSPCA to companion animals and their owners Australia wide. Killing dogs primarily on looks (animal abuse in my mind). We need independant verification on all they claim as mostly it is media spin for donations. In my opinion they shpold be like Mothers Against Drink Driving they should simply be a lobby group and enforcement should be left to the police who don't have a conflict of interest, perceived or real.

Regardless of your beef with the RSPCA on other issues, surely they deserve some credit for trying to highlight the cruelty and abuse inherent in puppy farms across the country.

[Guest Tess32]

The suffering of dogs in puppy farms is miniscule to the suffering caused by the RSPCA to companion animals and their owners Australia wide.

Oh come on...

[Little Gifts]

I have two comments to make. Firstly I simply don't understand how the conditions these animals are kept in isn't illegal. If an abbatoir or a kennel was keeping animals in filth they would be breaching some kind of by laws and be breached for it. So while puppy farming may be legal the conditions they are keeping animals in must also come under some kind of regulation? Really can't work that one out.

And when we talk puppy farming we refer to how the bitches and pups are kept but what about the male dogs? I assume they would also be forced to breed regularly and probably are in the same filthy accom as the other dogs? Or maybe they extract their sperm and inseminate the bitches? Either way when it is done so frequently I doubt they are worried about the dogs health or safety? The males would have to be even more disposable than the bitches and pups wouldn't they? You just never much about their suffering.

[jazawayaya]

The suffering of dogs in puppy farms is miniscule to the suffering caused by the RSPCA to companion animals and their owners Australia wide. Killing dogs primarily on looks (animal abuse in my mind). We need independant verification on all they claim as mostly it is media spin for donations. In my opinion they shpold be like Mothers Against Drink Driving they should simply be a lobby group and enforcement should be left to the police who don't have a conflict of interest, perceived or real.

*sigh* yep more rspca bashing.

Got to love that about this forum.

As if it would be left to the police! As if they have any time for that with their already stretched resources.

[Angelina]

I thought the article worthwhile

[Souff]

The suffering of dogs in puppy farms is miniscule to the suffering caused by the RSPCA to companion animals and their owners Australia wide. Killing dogs primarily on looks (animal abuse in my mind). We need independant verification on all they claim as mostly it is media spin for donations. In my opinion they shpold be like Mothers Against Drink Driving they should simply be a lobby group and enforcement should be left to the police who don't have a conflict of interest, perceived or real.

*sigh* yep more rspca bashing.

Got to love that about this forum.

As if it would be left to the police! As if they have any time for that with their already stretched resources.

Last time I looked, the police are authorised to enforce animal welfare legislation. Not every town has an RSPCA officer down the road.

Souff

[Souff]

Nice of Heather to bring this to the attention of voters, however I don't recall hearing the new Julia (or the old one for that matter), or the neverending Dr Brown, nor the one who likes his budgies, mention any policies about doggy matters.

Perhaps this is because under Australia's constitution it cannot be a federal matter.

And this is a federal election, is it not?

Yes, that probably would be why.

Isn't Heather FEDERAL President of the RSPCA these days? If so, one would think that she would know that this could not be a topic of Federal elections ...... but then again you know what they say about any publicity .....

sigh

Souff

[WreckitWhippet]

I really wonder about the RSPCA and just how serious they are about shutting puppy farmers down. They appear to do nothing until the dogs are in desperate need , when it should be all about "prevention of cruelty"

They have the ability to walk into average Joe's home and issue a notice, if they feel that a dogs needs a not being met, so how come they allow puppy farm dogs to stand in their own filth, day in day out , amongst other things ?

[Curlybert]

...... but then again you know what they say about any publicity .....

sigh

Souff

So are you saying the article should not have been written because it's all about publicity for the RSPCA and not the iniquity of puppy farming?

[Moselle]

I really wonder about the RSPCA and just how serious they are about shutting puppy farmers down. They appear to do nothing until the dogs are in desperate need , when it should be all about "prevention of cruelty"

They have the ability to walk into average Joe's home and issue a notice, if they feel that a dogs needs a not being met, so how come they allow puppy farm dogs to stand in their own filth, day in day out , amongst other things ?

BINGO! That is exactly what my thoughts are. So much blabber and little action. Just get on

with the business of doing something constructive, they have the power to end the suffering esp if they have the proof to substantiate their allegations so what the heck? DO IT !

[WreckitWhippet]

I really wonder about the RSPCA and just how serious they are about shutting puppy farmers down. They appear to do nothing until the dogs are in desperate need , when it should be all about "prevention of cruelty"

They have the ability to walk into average Joe's home and issue a notice, if they feel that a dogs needs a not being met, so how come they allow puppy farm dogs to stand in their own filth, day in day out , amongst other things ?

BINGO! That is exactly what my thoughts are. So much blabber and little action. Just get on

with the business of doing something constructive, they have the power to end the suffering esp if they have the proof to substantiate their allegations so what the heck? DO IT !

Of course they have the power to end suffering but naturally that doesn't allow them to claim the front page of newspapers and current affair shows.

Then you get the other end of the RSPCA stick, where they march in to people's homes with their steel cap boots on, seize dogs and ruin people's lives, where they could have issued notices ( and assisted ) and given owners the chance to improve conditions or fix problems.

[Curlybert]

Gee, cynical sniping from the sidelines - what a surprise.

[WreckitWhippet]

The RSPCA claim they are about "prevention of cruelty to animals ", hell it's even included in their name, yet they do very little about it.

Cynical, I dunno... more like sick of their media spin and inaction

[Crisovar]

Gee, cynical sniping from the sidelines - what a surprise.

The track record of the organisation is what has led to the opinions that too many on this forum dismiss as cynical sniping.

They are the biggest animal welfare organisation in the country they have the funds and the profile to do something about puppy farms but they seem to prefer soft targets. WHY?

Many here have witnessed the RSPCA in action, do not dismiss their opinions so lightly.

[Souff]

So are you saying the article should not have been written because it's all about publicity for the RSPCA and not the iniquity of puppy farming?

No, those are your words.

What I am saying is that it is NOT a Federal matter.

There are dog owners in Australia who have the intelligence to know this, but the dopey ole Sydney Morning Herald forgets that from time to time and just goes on insulting people's intelligence, while others relish the opportunity to get publicity.

Souff

[Curlybert]

So are you saying the article should not have been written because it's all about publicity for the RSPCA and not the iniquity of puppy farming?

No, those are your words.

What I am saying is that it is NOT a Federal matter.

There are dog owners in Australia who have the intelligence to know this, but the dopey ole Sydney Morning Herald forgets that from time to time and just goes on insulting people's intelligence, while others relish the opportunity to get publicity.

Souff

Oh sorry, when you said "but then again you know what they say about publicity" I naturally assumed...

[goldchow]

After a recent and well publicised puppy farm raid and seizure in the Wondai area the RSPCA were upset that the local council in that area did not move to stop/restrict the lady in question from further breeding after having her dogs seized. The Council publicly stated they did not have the juristriction to withdraw this persons permit for 60 dogs (250 dogs were seized). Whether the property (a designated dairy farm) had been granted appropriate permit/development plans for a puppy farm is unknown however much of the responsibilty for the care and control of these places falls squarely on the local councils. This is one of the changes the RSPCA are pushing for in their list of proposals