Pet owners to face harsher fines and jail time for animal abuse

Cowards convicted of the worst animal cruelty offences in NSW will face the toughest penalties in Australia after concern that current laws were too soft.

Cowards convicted of the worst animal cruelty offences would be banned from owning another animal again — even down to a humble goldfish — under tough new laws being proposed by the state government.

Fines for abusing animals will also increase by eight-fold under the legislation.

Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall will next week introduce the laws, which would see an act of aggravated animal cruelty — such as bashing dogs, drowning cats or torturing horses — attract a $110,000 fine, up from $22,000, including the possibility of two years imprisonment.

People who fail to provide food and shelter will face which will increase from $5500 to

$16,500, and the possibility of six months imprisonment.

A dog found emaciated died from malnutrition five days after being discovered. The woman was fined $8000 but under new laws the woman would be fined $110,000

Animal welfare groups have welcomed the changes as a strong message to the judiciary that the public wants offenders punished more severely than the current system, which sees most offenders walk free with small fines.

Mr Marshall said the new laws will reflect the fact that for most people, pets “are part of the family”.

“People who commit these offences are without a doubt the worst of the worst people, they are absolute scum,” he said.

“In some cases, these punishments are more than double that in most other states, so when these laws are passed, NSW will have the toughest set of animal cruelty penalties in Australia.”

The RSPCA prosecutes about 100 cases per year for the three main animal cruelty offences, with a conviction rate above 98 per cent. There are more than 14,000 complaints annually.

The number of animal cruelty cases being prosecuted in NSW has steadily increased from about 60 five years ago.

Agriculture and Western NSW Minister Adam Marshall with his pet cat Cyril

“For the very first time we will be giving powers to the courts to issue an order for an individual from ever owning, caring or even breeding an animal anywhere in NSW,” Mr Marshall said,

Asked if this would prevent repeat offenders from owning a goldfish, he said “yes in theory it literally could”.

RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman said the new laws are an important step in addressing animal cruelty offending.

“RSPCA NSW welcomes the decision to increase penalty amounts in relation to animal cruelty offences,” Mr Coleman said.

“This decision sends a message that the community takes animal cruelty offences seriously and that offenders should expect to be dealt with accordingly in court.”

Fourteen malnourished dogs were found living in a filthy concrete stable in Williamtown

In 2017 at Waverley Court a man was convicted of animal cruelty after he was caught kicking and repeatedly punching a dog and swinging by its choker chain in an elevator.

The dog’s body was never found. The man was fined $5500. Under the new laws he’d face a $44,000 fine and up to 12 months behind bars.

The crackdown on animal cruelty laws follows last month’s creation of a dedicated unit with the RSPCA to crack down on puppy factories.

In October The Sunday Telegraph revealed the shocking conditions animal hoarders subject creatures to, including a Maltese-Shih tzu that was found with teeth “so rotten that you could smell him a metre away”.

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Originally published as Pet owners to face harsher fines and jail time for animal abuse