Animal welfare organisations predict that the implementation of plans to enhance Victoria’s pet rehoming industry will bring in an improvement in the quality of life for cats and dogs around the country.
Andy Meddick, a member of the Animal Justice Party and a state task force member, is the person who led the group that made 17 recommendations to the state government.
These recommendations could lead to a policy that requires the rehoming of suitable cats and dogs that are used in research and teaching.
It was also decided to conduct a review of the regulations, with a particular emphasis on determining a retirement age for those animals.
Additionally, the task force advocated for rules that would limit the use of euthanasia for animals who had health concerns that could be treated or managed.
According to the Australian Animal Protection Society, a nonprofit located in Melbourne that advocates for the rights of animals, the guidelines are an attempt to set comparable standards of care for rehoming.
I would love to see people have a licence to own a pet,’ the society’s general manager Megan Seccull said.
‘If you have to go through some sort of education program to understand exactly what’s involved in having a pet, that will then cut out impulse buying.’
RSPCA Victoria made submissions to the inquiry, leading to numerous recommendations in the report.
‘As a socially conscious shelter, RSPCA Victoria believes transparency, including animal fate data reporting, collaboration and continuous improvement of standards are vital to ensure all animals are treated humanely,’ Liz Walker, chief executive said.
‘RSPCA Victoria supports the regulation of rehoming groups to help ensure all animal care organisations are transparent and adhere to the same standards.’
This group is likewise interested in seeing restrictions become more stringent.
The spending plan for the prior month includes $18.6 million for various animal care programs.