Rental changes a good start. Now let’s tackle pet shops

NEW rental laws should reduce the number of surrendered pets. But if you really want to fix it, stop pet shops doing this, writes Katy Hall.

A COUPLE of weeks ago I was on a mission. I had gone to the mall with a very specific list of things to do and buy and was determined to fit it all in before the cost of parking rose to that of a small house deposit.

After ticking off running tights and face cream from my list, I beelined to the pet store for some poo bags and pigs ears for my five-month-old puppy.

Next to me at the register stood three women, probably no older than 20, all fawning over a Labradoodle puppy they were in the midst of purchasing. They had just moved into a share house, they told the teenager behind the register happily and had decided to get — and share — a puppy.

To the other side of me was a man also in his 20s, this time buying a Pomeranian puppy for his girlfriend as a surprise. She had just arrived from overseas, he told the manager and was going to be here for the next four years studying. A puppy, he reasoned, would help her with her homesickness.

It took them less time to become a pet owner than it took me to run some errands.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the changes on Sunday. (Pic: James Ross/AAP)

Fast forward to this weekend when Daniel Andrews announced a series of sweeping changes to rental laws that will aim to improve the market throughout Victoria that will among other things, allow renters to now own pets without discrimination from landlords and agents.

The RSPCA has welcomed the change, saying it could significantly reduce the number of pets surrendered to them.

Naturally, as a renter and a pet owner myself, the news was music to my ears. But I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment in the pet store and those people buying those puppies.

As it stands, people wanting to adopt a rescue pet in Victoria have to undergo rigorous screening. There are forms, questionnaires, and sometimes even home visits. Your work schedule and social life are questioned, as is your long-term vision for your life as a pet owner.

Reputable breeders have somewhat similar standards, usually performing some kind of vetting process before agreeing to sell their puppies and kittens to prospective buyers. With a breeder, there’s also the benefit of time — buyers generally have to wait weeks or months for their pet to arrive, and so getting cold feet or deciding to back out is something that can be done without negative impact on the pet.

At a pet store, though, literally, anyone with enough money in their bank account is free to walk in off the street and become a pet owner within ten minutes. No questions asked, no screening needed, just a hefty wad of cash transferred between two people.

Over 10,000 dogs were surrendered in Victoria between 2015-2016. (Pic: Nicki Connolly).

No one was required to ask those women what they planned to do if they stopped living together or where their 8-week-old puppy would stay during the day. No one was required to ask that man what he and his girlfriend plan to do when her four years of study and visa are up despite a Pomeranian having a lifespan of 12 to 16 years.

Everyone knows or has heard a story about the ‘I went to the mall for some groceries and came back with a puppy’ person. And while it’s likely that most of the time that works out okay, what about when it doesn’t?

Between 2015 and 2016, 24,972 animals went into RSPCA care in Victoria alone, making it the third highest surrender state after Queensland and NSW. Of those, 10,469 were dogs and 11,457 were cats. Within the same period, 4,257 cats and dogs were euthanised. 17 per cent of all cats and dogs surrendered during this period was due to housing issues. Sadly, the RSPCA data doesn’t cover other major shelters within the state like Lort Smith or the various foster and rescue groups which come under the Pet Rescue banner, so the number of surrenders statewide is guaranteed to be even higher.

“It’s really important that people carefully consider the decision to add a pet to their family. Even a small dog or a cat can have significant financial, emotional or practical effects which some people are just not properly prepared for,” Lort Smith CEO David Herman says.

“As an organisation which only rehomes surrendered animals, we hear too many stories of people buying a pet on a whim without realising the commitment they are making. When we are matching a pet and adopter, we always go through a thorough process to try and ensure a perfect match for a long and happy relationship.”

A pet is not an impulse purchase that you grab at the mall while ticking items off your weekend to-do list. It’s not something that should be bought as a surprise for someone only planning to live here for four years or as a house-warming gift for yourself and your flatmates.

If we’re going to allow greater freedoms to pet owners, it’s time to start vetting who can and can’t be one with greater consistency. Because if we don’t, surely the problem that already exists is only going to get worse and no pet deserves that.

@katyhallway

Originally published as Rental changes a good start. Now let’s tackle pet shops