State Government to introduce legislation to end puppy farming
Premier Mark McGowan and Local Government Minister David Templeman were greeted by furry friends at the K9 Dog Rescue in Nambeelup today while announcing the introduction of legislation to end puppy farming in Western Australia.
- State Government to introduce Dog Amendment (Stop Puppy Farming) Bill 2019 to ban puppy farming in WA
- Registered breeders will still be able to breed dogs
- Other dogs will need to be de-sexed by two years of age and a centralised registration system to identify dogs will be established
- Pet shops to provide opportunities to re-home puppies and dogs
- Community consultation overwhelmingly positive with almost 5000 submissions received
- Another key McGowan Government election commitment being delivered.
A key State Government election commitment, the Dog Amendment (Stop Puppy Farming) Bill 2019 will be introduced into Parliament to end puppy farming in WA.
Registered breeders can still breed whilst other dogs must be de-sexed by two years of age, unless exempt. This will give families piece of mind their puppy isn't from a puppy farm, prevent overbreeding and enable illegal breeders to be traced.
Under the new legislation, information on dogs and who bred them will be held in a centralised registration system, allowing records to be shared and dogs to be traced throughout their lives.
Rescue and shelter organisations in WA take in approximately 3200 dogs each year. Under the new rules, pet shops will transition to dog and puppy adoption centres, helping re-home displaced and abandoned dogs. The Government will work with pet shops to assist with this transition.
Puppy farming is the breeding of dogs in poor, inadequate conditions and can result in dogs with long-term health and behavioural issues.
Community consultation on the proposed provisions has been overwhelmingly positive, with almost 5000 submissions received which helped inform the draft legislation.