Puppy farms: Calls for change in laws after spike in cruelty cases
A string of high-profile arrests and cases of cruelty have put the spotlight on puppy farms with calls for legislation changes. It can now be revealed where some of the underground businesses are operating. SEE WHERE THEY ARE.
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Animal welfare groups are ramping up investigations into illegal puppy farms across NSW amid a spike in the number of breeding facilities operating in the state and a string of high-profile police raids over the past 12 months.
The arrest of a Bendoura breeder convicted of animal cruelty offences earlier this year has reignited debate over puppy farms, also known as “mills” or “factories”, and the conditions dogs can be subject to within the often large-scale commercial operations.
Figures obtained by NewsLocal show the RSPCA has investigated 493 cruelty complaints in relation to breeder and kennel facilities from January to September this year – just shy of the 503 complaints lodged in the entire 12 month period last year.
The Bendoura breeder, a 77-year-old woman, was sentenced in April to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $170,000 in veterinarian fees after RSPCA officers seized 23 dogs from her rural property that were discovered in filthy conditions, resulting in one female dog losing her eyesight.
Pictures from within the puppy farm showed some dogs were also severely matted with reddened skin, had yellowed and decaying teeth, and were all living in kennels and yards which did not comply with strict animal welfare standards.
In court, the woman admitted to breeding and selling dogs and puppies from the farm for more than 20 years that were advertised to buyers on her website.
The arrest was far from isolated with police also unearthing an alleged large-scale puppy farm operation in September last year where more than 100 dogs were allegedly kept in kennels across south east Queensland with some puppies allegedly found with intestinal worm infestations and behavioural issues requiring long term rehabilitation.
In another case, Goulburn woman Elaine Parsons, 68, pleaded guilty to eight counts of animal cruelty after RSPCA officers seized 96 dogs from her farm in 2018 found with dental disease, ear infections, fleas and eye problems.
Other cases to make the headlines included the discovery of 180 dogs and puppies found living in shocking conditions at Marulan in the state’s southeast. The owner of the property later plead guilty to 12 charges of animal cruelty and was sentenced to a good behaviour bond and ordered to pay more than $20,000 in fines.
The spotlight on the sector has also been prompted by a string of online scams involving unsuspecting buyers forking out up to $5000 for puppies advertised in online forums such as Gumtree.
NSW Police said it has received more than 170 reports of pet scams this year and made multiple arrests including a 27-year-old Oxley Man charged with fraud after allegedly duping buyers into transferring money for dogs that were never received.
Community debate over farms has meanwhile been heightened along the Victorian border due to a string of new puppy farms operating north of the Murray River – partly driven by recent legislation in Victoria aimed at weeding out unscrupulous operators within the sector.
At a meeting last month, Murray Council stepped up measures to address community concern after the council received three development applications for new or expanded breeding facilities in the local government area including one set-up involving 130 puppies and adult dogs kept in kennels at a rural property in Moama.
The council said its rangers have carried out a series of investigations into “suspected illegal breeding establishments across the local government area” while the RSPCA has received reports of some breeders operating out of caravans in border communities.
Murray Council partly credited the surge in facilities planned in the region to laws introduced in Victoria in April which capped the number of dogs allowed in facilities to 10, or 50 with ministerial approval, while in NSW no limits are included within current legislation.
Elsewhere in NSW, new or expanded breeding facilities have also been proposed or recently approved in rural and regional communities including Jilliby, Palm Grove, the Central Coast and Northern Tablelands.
The debate surrounding puppy has reached NSW parliament, with Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst calling for news laws to stamp out instances of dogs “bred for profit” and cases of female dogs “living in squalid conditions”.
Ms Hurst told NewsLocal conditions of some puppy farms coupled with lack of exercise and pressure to produce repeat litters can lead to a “lifetime of behavioural issues” for dogs housed with the facilities.
She said legislation in NSW should match regulations in Victoria along with caps on the number of litters for female dogs, mandatory veterinarian checks, a ban on the sale of dogs online and in pet shops and increased funding for the RSPCA.
“The puppies that come out of the facilities often have health conditions due to the squalid conditions they’re kept in and we’ve also heard cases of owners having to pay $5000 in veterinarian fees after buying a puppy online,” she said.
“There are illegal puppy farms, and also legal farms where under current laws you can have 400 dogs in cages breeding for their entire life so it’s almost irrelevant if they’re legal or not.”
Labor MPs have backed reforms, with MP Mick Veitch saying puppy farms have “flourished” in NSW with demand partly driven by Australians seeking new companions since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Nationals MP Ben Franklin, however, has resisted amendments to existing laws, saying enforceable animal welfare codes of practice for dog and cat breeding and pet shops have been in place for more than a decade.
The RSPCA said concerns about the breeding and supply of domestic animals included under-regulation of pet shops, breeders, online sales and other animal sellers. In a statement the organisation encouraged all prospective dog buyers to consider “adopting from a local shelter”.
“The cats and dogs we come across have conditions ranging from dental disease, parasite burden, ear infections, matted coats and overgrown nails, and in poor physical body and mental health,” a spokesman said.
“When purchasing from a breeder, it is important to visit the place where it was born and where possible meet the parents of the pet to make sure you are purchasing from a responsible breeder.”