❓ The Minister for Local Government outlines the McGowan government's upcoming legislation to ban puppy farming, detailing key aspects such as a centralised registration system, mandatory desexing, and transitioning pet shops into adoption centres. The legislation aims to prevent over-breeding, crack down on illegal operators, and promote responsible pet ownership.
AnsweredQoN 15Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUPPY FARMING
15. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the McGowan government's
commitment to improving the welfare of dogs in Western Australia by bringing an
end to the cruel practice of puppy farming. Can the minister update the house
on how the McGowan government's legislation to ban puppy farming will
prevent over-breeding of dogs, crack down on illegal operators and promote
responsible pet ownership in WA?
15. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the McGowan government's
commitment to improving the welfare of dogs in Western Australia by bringing an
end to the cruel practice of puppy farming. Can the minister update the house
on how the McGowan government's legislation to ban puppy farming will
prevent over-breeding of dogs, crack down on illegal operators and promote
responsible pet ownership in WA?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very pleased to stand in the
house and highlight that the government will bring in legislation in the next
week or so to outlaw puppy farming in Western Australia—a practice that
all people understand and know is abhorrent. It is something that we want to
bring an end to. The legislation has been framed and developed through a very
important and robust consultation period. Over 5 000 submissions were made in
the consultation period and very intense work was done with various groups in
the sector, including DogsWest, WA Rangers and a range of others. I am very
pleased and proud of the work of the member for Maylands as chair of the
working party that helped frame the feedback from the consultation period and
assisted in developing legislation. This will be landmark legislation. It is
something that many Western Australians will be very proud of—their
government will stamp out puppy farming in this state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! This is
very important legislation.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : What we will do, of course, is make
sure that those abhorrent practices are no longer. The puppy farming
legislation will deliver a range of important aspects. There will be a centralised
registration system that is consistent across the state. It will trace the
breeding of dogs and ensure that we can track a puppy from birth to death. We
will have a mandatory industry desexing program for dogs up to two years of
age, unless there are exemptions, and there will be some exemptions. We will
have the transition of pet shops into adoption centres to ensure that we
prevent over-breeding and impulse puppy buying and that we assist in the
rehoming of displaced and abandoned dogs. We know that throughout the year,
literally thousands of dogs are abandoned or left with some of our dog refuges
throughout the state, and there are lots of them. This practice of
transitioning pet shops will be an important component of this legislation. We
will also make sure that we have best practice.
Mr Speaker, I know you have a pet; I
think, from memory, Harry is the name of your pet dog. Many of us have pets or
have had pets. We want to make sure that we have the best possible robust
system in place to protect our canine friends and that we have good standards
in place so that the practice of puppy farming is no longer. It is a commitment
that the McGowan government took to the election in March 2017. I hope that
members opposite will support this initiative, because it is an important
initiative for the welfare of our canine friends. It also underpins the
important education of all of us about the responsibilities of pet ownership. I
hope that the opposition will support this legislation and that we will be able
to have landmark legislation —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Stop
yapping over there! We will make sure that we have landmark legislation in
place to ensure the protection of our canine friends. It is great legislation.
I look forward to the opposition supporting it.
house and highlight that the government will bring in legislation in the next
week or so to outlaw puppy farming in Western Australia—a practice that
all people understand and know is abhorrent. It is something that we want to
bring an end to. The legislation has been framed and developed through a very
important and robust consultation period. Over 5 000 submissions were made in
the consultation period and very intense work was done with various groups in
the sector, including DogsWest, WA Rangers and a range of others. I am very
pleased and proud of the work of the member for Maylands as chair of the
working party that helped frame the feedback from the consultation period and
assisted in developing legislation. This will be landmark legislation. It is
something that many Western Australians will be very proud of—their
government will stamp out puppy farming in this state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! This is
very important legislation.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : What we will do, of course, is make
sure that those abhorrent practices are no longer. The puppy farming
legislation will deliver a range of important aspects. There will be a centralised
registration system that is consistent across the state. It will trace the
breeding of dogs and ensure that we can track a puppy from birth to death. We
will have a mandatory industry desexing program for dogs up to two years of
age, unless there are exemptions, and there will be some exemptions. We will
have the transition of pet shops into adoption centres to ensure that we
prevent over-breeding and impulse puppy buying and that we assist in the
rehoming of displaced and abandoned dogs. We know that throughout the year,
literally thousands of dogs are abandoned or left with some of our dog refuges
throughout the state, and there are lots of them. This practice of
transitioning pet shops will be an important component of this legislation. We
will also make sure that we have best practice.
Mr Speaker, I know you have a pet; I
think, from memory, Harry is the name of your pet dog. Many of us have pets or
have had pets. We want to make sure that we have the best possible robust
system in place to protect our canine friends and that we have good standards
in place so that the practice of puppy farming is no longer. It is a commitment
that the McGowan government took to the election in March 2017. I hope that
members opposite will support this initiative, because it is an important
initiative for the welfare of our canine friends. It also underpins the
important education of all of us about the responsibilities of pet ownership. I
hope that the opposition will support this legislation and that we will be able
to have landmark legislation —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Stop
yapping over there! We will make sure that we have landmark legislation in
place to ensure the protection of our canine friends. It is great legislation.
I look forward to the opposition supporting it.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.