Councils have said NSW is becoming a magnet for puppy farms because it has “weaker laws” than other states, and have urged the state government to adopt rules similar to Victoria to restrict animal numbers and breeding cycles.
A series of four public hearings begins on Thursday as part of a state parliamentary inquiry into puppy and kitten farming, which among other matters will investigate challenges faced by local governments in assessing development applications for puppy farms.
The raiding of a puppy farm in Victoria by police and council officers in 2014 eventually led to new laws in that state.
Local Government NSW told the inquiry that over the past three years Murray River Council, which runs along the Victorian border in the Riverina, had received a number of inquiries for medium to large puppy farms in its local government area “as a direct result of the tightened legislation and regulations in Victoria”.
Murray River and Orange City councils also raised concerns about the matter at a special LGNSW conference in early March.
LGNSW said councils were somewhat powerless when it came to assessing applications for puppy farms as there was no basis in legislation to draw upon the requirements of the Breeding Code or to consider whether the proponent is a fit and proper person.
LGNSW says in a submission to the inquiry: “[This] limits the ability of councils to refuse facilities that they would otherwise consider to be of concern. As a result, some NSW councils have advised that a number of large-scale puppy farms have been legally approved in their areas.”
Animal welfare issues
Furthermore, the peak body said councils had growing concerns about the number of mass dog breeding facilities popping up in the state and the associated animal welfare issues.
It says: “It is [our] view that the demand for establishing facilities in NSW has been driven by the weaker laws in NSW (compared to other states) and the high demand for puppies during the COVID-19 pandemic.″
Councils say ‘weak laws’ make NSW a haven for substandard puppy farms
Source: Philippines Alive
