Clover Moore, the Mayor of Sydney, has introduced to the NSW Parliament a private Members Bill to ban the sale of pets in pet shops. If this Bill is passed, the dogs hidden away and confined in puppy farms have taken one step closer to freedom.

Amazingly the Australian Veterinary Association is opposing the Bill. Traditionally, we look upon vets as the guardians of animal welfare, and their Code of Professional Conduct states that “Veterinarians should not condone animal suffering, nor be party to it” and to “Always consider the health, welfare and respectful treatment of the animal”.

What Australian vets are apparently telling us, by opposing this Bill, is that it is acceptable to cage a dog from birth until death and to use that dog as a breeding machine to pump out highly marketable products to display in pet shops.

Is it respectful to continue to use that dog for breeding when her mammary glands are dragging on the ground, her uterus has prolapsed and her teeth and gums are rotten and infected so she cannot eat or drink adequately?
Apparently it is OK that she attempts to eat her puppies as soon as she gives birth to them because she has gone psychotic from years of confinement and deprivation. It is also good to only feed these confined dogs every second day, just enough to keep them alive and pregnant. It’s also not cruel to take this dog to the back of the puppy farm, knock her on the head to kill her, throw her body in a manure pit and replace her with one of her female puppies to continue the cycle of breeding.

So why is the Australian Veterinary Association opposing this Bill when it would clearly help to stop the suffering of dogs?
It is of course in the interests of vets to keep puppy farming and pet shops in business, for they are one of the industries also making money from the suffering. Puppy farmers must have a written agreement with a vet in order to be granted their permit from local Council’s (who also profit by way of annual registration fees). Pet shops must also employ vets to vaccinate all the puppies and of course the pet shops promote the vets business to their customers.

The Australian Veterinary Association, in their 9 page submission to NSW parliament, failed to mention once where pet shops get their puppies from.

SHAME ON AUSTRALIAN VETS

It is vital that we lobby the New South Wales politicians and let them know the truth about what really goes on behind the pet shop window.

Members of Parliament place more weight on personal letters, emails, phone calls and visits. MPs need to hear how important this issue is directly from you before they will advocate for the Bill in their parties and in Parliament.

Please contact:

From the NSW Government:
The Hon Ian Macdonald
Minister for Primary Industries
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Email: macdonald.office@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au

From the NSW Opposition:
Mr Chris Hartcher
Shadow Minister for Local Government
Shop 3 Fountain Plaza
148 – 158 The Entrance Road, Erina NSW 2250
Email: terrigal@parliament.nsw.gov.au