Animal rights groups claim few worthwhile changes to animal laws made in Animal Care Act review

Animal advocacy groups claim the state government has failed to make any meaningful changes to the first review of animal welfare laws in decades after it was tabled in parliament on Thursday.

Despite a ban on prong collars and the introduction of a new law animal advocacy groups claim the Queensland government has failed to make any meaningful changes to animal welfare laws after the first review in decades was tabled in parliament on Thursday.

Dubbing it a “missed opportunity” Animal Liberation Queensland Executive Director, Clay Neal said despite assurances the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 would undergo a full review, only minor changes had been made.

“The Palaszczuk Government made a commitment to perform a full 20 year review of the Animal Care and Protection Act. Unfortunately, instead all we have is a collection of relatively minor amendments that should have been made years – if not decades – ago,” he said.

“The Bill does not offer any meaningful reform to the millions of farmed animals that suffer in factory farms throughout the state. Nor does it seek to increase inspections or enforcement of the minimal animal welfare laws that exist for the animals in these factory farms.”

Mark Furner Miff, outside Queensland’s Parliament House, as he announced a ban for prong collars. Mr Furner introduced a Revised Version of the 20-year-old Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 into parliament today: Facebook

Mr Neal – part of a coalition that also comprised members from Animals Australia, the Animal Justice Party, Animals Need Shade, Coast to Coast Animal Friends, Farm Animal Rescue, World Animal Protection – said although grateful for the changes made, the bill failed to implement any recommendations from the animal protection organisations.

“There seems to have been little if any consideration given to the recommendations to implement an independent office for animal protection – separate from the Department of Agriculture and the Minister for Agriculture. They also dismissed calls to ban the cruel rodeo event of calf roping (or ‘rope and tie’) as a prohibited event under the Act.,” he said.

“It is a missed opportunity to give proper consideration to animal protection – for our animal welfare laws to reflect contemporary animal welfare science – and to bring our laws in line with community expectation.”
In April 2021, the RSPCA and other animal groups urged members of the public to express their opinions about changes they thought should be made to Queensland’s outdated animal welfare laws under the Act.

Prong or "pinch" collars are to be banned in Queensland, making them the second state, behind Victoria, to do so. Picture: Supplied

Questions asked included whether the existing court sentences for animal cruelty crimes were harsh enough, whether veterinarians should have to report suspected cruelty, the use of animals for scientific testing, along with opinions over the legal use of poisoned baits and traps, restraining dogs in utes and several others topics.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner, who introduced the updated legislation into parliament, said he was thrilled more than 2300 submissions had been received.

He said some of the amendments to the Act included a ban on using and possessing pronged dog collars, prohibition on the use of yellow phosphorous pig poison, a requirement for dogs to be restrained on vehicles – with a working dog exemption, clarification of some animal inspector powers and a new offence for aggravated breaches for the duty of care.

“Under our proposed amendments people convicted of aggravated breaches of duty of care to animals face up to three years in jail or maximum fines of more than $275,000,” Mr Furner said.

Animal rights groups are disappointed with the first review in 20 years of Queensland’s animal welfare laws, saying very few “meaningful” changes had been made. Picture: Animal Liberation Queensland

“The package of amendments will reflect advances in the knowledge and understanding of animal biology and behaviour and responds to community expectations about the welfare of all animals, including livestock.”

On May 8 Mr Furner said controversial dog “prong” collars – which have fang-shaped metal links with blunt ends designed to tighten around a dog’s neck when pressure is applied – would be banned.

Several Australian prong collar retailers had sold out since the ban was announced last week.

It is illegal to import prong collars into Australia but they are not illegal to use on dogs, except for in Victoria.

The use of choker chains, electric and shock collars were also all part of the review but were not mentioned, despite several recent parliamentary petitions also calling for them to be prohibited.

Several large animal advocacy groups said more stringent changes to Queensland’s animal welfare laws were still needed, especially with regards to the treatment of livestock, such as these cattle at a sale yard in Rockhampton. Picture: Animal Liberation Queensland.

Mr Neal said the prong collar ban was welcome, but questioned why the other collars were not also included.

“The ban on prong collars is welcome and overdue, but it is deeply disappointing that this appears to be the peak of the government’s 20-year review of animal welfare laws,” he said.

“But why cherry-pick prong collars as an issue? What about electric dog collars (illegal in several other states), or cruel tethering which often leads to injuries and even death of dogs?”

Morika Elek from Animals Need Shade said without more stringent changes surrounding several more issues, “appalling animal cruelty will continue.”

“Despite the community response, correspondence from the Department of Agriculture indicates there will be no major changes to the State’s legislation. It’s business as usual in Queensland with animal welfare losing out yet again to the interests of primary production,” she said.