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Perth pet hoarder fined $100,000 after council seizes 82 dogs
An animal hoarder in Perth’s east has been ordered to pay $95,000 and banned from owning dogs for a decade in a case a magistrate described as “heart-wrenching”.
The City of Swan rescued 82 dogs, its largest ever such seizure, from a property in October 2022 following an investigation prompted by a complaint about the number of dogs at the property and the conditions they were being kept in.
Wally, one of the dogs seized by the City of Swan. Credit: RSPCAWA
The animals were successfully rehomed through the City’s animal management facility and another facility.
The City initiated a prosecution for offences under the Planning and Development Act 2005 and the Dog Act 1976 and the matter was finalised at Midland Magistrates Court last month.
City of Swan mayor Tanya Richardson said the council and its staff were pleased the court had sent a strong message.
“This stands as a deterrent for others, and it also validates the thorough investigation and seizure process undertaken by our staff,” she said.
“This was a confronting case for our staff and I’m particularly happy to know that 82 of these dogs were able to be rehomed.”
Despite Stop Puppy Farming reforms being passed in WA Parliament in 2021 it was only recently announced that a $9.8 million contract had been awarded to Seisma Group to establish an online centralised registration system for dogs and cats.
The Stop Puppy Farming reforms are expected to be fully implemented by the time the new registration system, PetsWA, goes live in 2025.
Mayor Richardson said the City of Swan was looking forward to the implementation of the new laws, which would improve the regulation of dog breeding in WA and empower local governments to improve animal welfare.
The City of Swan is over-represented among Perth local governments in terms of animal cruelty report numbers to the RSPCA WA.
A spokeswoman for the organisation said they assisted in this case with removal of dogs from the property, including a red kelpie named Wally with high medical needs. Wally received vet treatment and was adopted in March 2023.
RSPCA Animal and Enforcement Operations executive manager Hannah Dreaver said the new online centralised registration would replace the existing 139 local government systems and help identify cases of puppy farming.
“Nationally, the RSPCA receives over 125,000 animals every year, and many of these unwanted animals are the result of unplanned breeding,” she said.
“Since 1 May, RSPCA WA has seen 86 puppies through its shelter which includes a large litter of 13 puppies and their mother. Five of these puppies are still undergoing vet care several weeks after arriving at the shelter.”
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