Even the briefest search of animal welfare sites (we will add some links here) indicates how diverse, widespread, unnecessary and unacceptable the attitude of our government is to animal welfare. Every species feels pain. hunger, cold, heat, restriction of instinct etc. Try picking up that lowliest of harmless, useful creatures, the common worm. Australia's record on animal welfare is dismal. Every species has a right to humane handling. It is the obvious cruelty in farming practices which turns people off eating meat not the animal welfare movement - they are - as with many forms of activism - merely the catalyst for change which publicises unnecessarily cruel practices. If these cruel practices did not exist there would be nothing to publicise. We call for offers of admin assistance to help us to add other ideas and solutions as well as areas of need. For the time being our focus is on the utter failure of successive goverments to introduce laws limiting the appalling amount of breeding and excessive killing of domestic pets with all its resultant cruelty - not to mention cost to taxpayers of oversupply .
For other reasons to have a more humane attitude to how we treat animals, see "Governments fail on Health Issues tab".
Oversupply of pets not only adds to global warming unnecessarily, the huge rise in unwanted and neglected animals is a serious environmental problem.
When discussing population growth in the context of climate change and finite resources, let’s not overlook the huge problems unrestricted oversupply of domestic animals is causing.
It seems to us Councils and governments are fighting the issues from the wrong end. Innovative prevention and minimisation for attacking the causes rather than the huge expense of mopping up outcomes is clearly needed..
Breeders need to be restricted and penalised far more instead of turning a blind eye to the problems they create. It is totally shortsighted and irresponsible of Councils and Governments to continually refuse to institute measures to control breeding of dogs, cats, rabbits, mice and horses. What possible excuse is there?
Statistics and studies overseas show that where Councils run low cost desexing clinics, policing and tighter restrictions on breeders, and registration of owners (not just the animal as now) such measures result in .huge savings to Councils and therefore taxpayers. E.g. Less complaints – including about neglected and cruelly treated animals, less need, therefore cost for shelters, pounds and rehousing, less dog attacks on livestock, less need for helicopters to control ferrals, productive deployment of rangers such as checking registration, microchipping and fines for not picking up. Registration of owners is essential to ensure less chance of unsuitable owners being able to obtain another pet when prosecuted or found wanting in other ways.
Statistics show oversupply adds to all ratepayers’ costs regardless of if they have a pet or not. Currently e.g. Yarra Ranges Council employs ten rangers as well as substantially contributing to rescue and recycle processes. ..
Surely prevention and minimisation policies would do more for the environment and ratepayers? Clearly solutions are urgently needed which get to the root of the problem – oversupply – rather than simply addressing outcomes. . The incidence of cruelty and neglect increases because domestic animals have become as disposable as last year’s fashion. There are not enough homes to go round so the very people who do desex pets before rehousing – animal shelters – end up with the cost and the pain of putting the animals down.
It is clearly absolute lunacy to be discussing people control when we don’t even address pet control. That undexed cats, rabbits, dogs and horses used merely as lawnmowers or status symbols can still change hands without desexing much less penalty is merely adding to the problems. The argument that the pet industry assists the economy is badly flawed – neglect, cruelty and constant killing of unwanted pets by not for profit organizations which shelters are dealing with helps no one.
Statistics etc are currently being researched for confirmation – watch this page! Contribute your story – email us your link - join our trip to Canberra if this is the project which concerns you!!
Governments Fail - Animal Rights Issues
