Victorian Government’s renewed push for puppy farm crackdown

HOBBY dog breeders will be spared under a renewed government push to crackdown on puppy farms in Victoria.

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HOBBY dog breeders will be spared under a renewed government push to crack down on puppy farms in Victoria.

Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford has clinched a deal to try to ensure that law-abiding backyard breeders are not caught by new laws stamping out puppy farming.

Changes that the government had initially proposed were scrapped late last year after months of controversy and protest rallies by thousands of breeders.

A parliamentary committee advised the government to start again, and called on it to drop a 10-dog limit on breeders and to allow pet shops to sell puppies sourced from “ethical” breeders.

The government went back to the drawing board, and since January Ms Pulford has been meeting industry bodies, including Dogs Victoria and Australian National Cats Inc, to revamp codes of practice ensuring that small-time breeders obey the rules.

The Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Under tough new standards at least 15 dodgy breeders have already been suspended, and two have been shut down.

The overhaul is expected to clear the way for long-awaited amendments to ban puppy farms, due to be introduced in parliament in August once Cabinet signs off on them.

Details of the amendments have yet to be announced, but the minister is understood to be confident that they will pass the Legislative Council, where government members are in a minority.

The minister is the government’s deputy leader in the Upper House, and the Greens have previously indicated that they will work with the government on the amendments.

Puppies found during a raid in Northern Victoria. Picture Norm Oorloff

“At no point was our plan to (pursue) hobby breeders who are doing the right thing,’’ Ms Pulford said.

“All applicable organisations, including Dogs Victoria, have worked really hard over the last six months to improve their standards in a way that is consistent with the government and community expectations,” she said.

“We remain committed to cracking down on industrial-scale breeding and puppy farming.’’

The industry bodies will have another two months to ensure that all breeders are operating to standard.

Dogs Victoria chief executive Tim Adams said that the new proposals “appear to be effective and enforceable regulations’’.