SELECT COMMITTEE ON DOGS AND CATS AS COMPANION ANIMALS

Adjourned debate on motion of Dr Close:

That the report be noted.

(Continued from 24 July 2013.)

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:04): I rise to speak on the Select Committee on Dogs and Cats as Companion Animals and note this came about because of a proposed bill by the member for Fisher. There has certainly been a lot of interest over the years in how companion animals, especially dogs and cats, are treated, and how people perceive what it is necessary to do when you pick up a pet.

We see the wanton waste that happens and the tragic loss of life at times of pets when people think there is a cute little pup or kitten in the window. They take it home, and it might be a Christmas present or something like that, and then they realise that there is more to owning a pet than just having something cute and fluffy looking at you every morning. There is certainly a lot more to it.

One point I wanted to make during the establishment of this select committee was that we did not enforce any issues with regard to working dogs and especially with regard to the trade in farm animals, especially pups that could be bred for trade between neighbouring farmers, but also in relation to purpose-bred dogs like guide dogs and the like. I am pleased that the committee stuck to its core business of looking at companion animals and, in our definition, essentially, pets.

What happens in rural areas especially is that there is a lot of trading. When people know that someone has a good dog and a good bitch, and when they know that there is a litter of pups coming along, they want to be able to get hold of those pups so they can work their livestock. I did not want to see an impediment to that kind of trade, especially in rural areas, although we do acknowledge that the welfare of those animals is certainly high on the agenda.

Some interesting issues came up during the sitting of this committee. We saw a couple of breeders come under scrutiny, and rightly so, for their activities. I know there was one in the Riverland where there were some issues with the breeding of pets and also one, sadly, in my electorate, down towards Milang.

The problem we have is that, apart from the trade in animals that can be done through pet shops, some people do it from car boots and that sort of thing. Someone might respond to an advertisement for a pet, thinking, 'Yes, I will have one of those', and, because the breeder may not necessarily want the buyer to see how these pups or kittens are bred, they will meet them somewhere in a car park and do the deal out the back of a car.

There has also been a trade of, I guess you could call it, designer dogs. People basically put their orders in and it may be pet shops, even interstate, that say they want a certain breed or a certain crossbreed because that is the trend that there is a demand for. Some of these pups can sell for many hundreds of dollars if not approaching $1,000, so you will see people putting breeding animals through breeding programs that are totally unsustainable. It puts a lot of pressure on dogs and it is totally wrong. It causes dogs to breed continuously, just so someone can profit unscrupulously from this trade.

I was very pleased to be a part of this select committee. I just want to go through the specific recommendations that relate to our terms of reference. The first recommendation was about introducing an enforceable standard for the breeding of companion dogs and cats. I think that is where we have to get at the core of the issue and make sure that people do follow the appropriate standards for breeding.

The second recommendation is around introducing a licensing scheme for breeders of companion dogs and cats, and this will cut out some of those unscrupulous traders. The third recommendation is to require mandatory inclusion of breeder's licence numbers and animal's microchip numbers in all advertising and at purchase point. What that will do is basically licence the trade so that people can see that these are legitimate breeders and, obviously, with a microchip there, the animal can be tracked along the way.

Our fourth recommendation is to require minimum qualifications for pet shop, breeding establishment and pound/shelter staff. From what I understand from our recommendations, at least one person operating that pet shop has to have a certain certificate and that has to be on display so that people can see that those qualifications have been adhered to, and the other staff can work under the guidance of that.

Recommendation five: move forward the recent review into the South Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Management of Animals in the Pet Trade, and I think that is self explanatory. Number six: require vendors to provide a cooling-off period prior to handing over a companion animal. This reflects on comments I made earlier in regard to people who think, 'There's a lovely kitten or a nice fluffy pup in the window and isn't that a great thing,' but people really need to think about how they manage these animals because, as we saw during our tours of shelters, and the RSPCA etc., people suddenly realise that they cannot manage the animals. Recommendation seven: develop industry standard information on pet ownership responsibilities, to be disseminated prior to sale. That reflects on my previous comments about the many responsibilities that pet owners need to have.

Recommendation eight: require dogs and cats purchased at any venue (breeder, pet shop, online, market etc.) to be vaccinated at the appropriate level for age and treated for worms and other parasites, microchipped; and require cats purchased at any venue (breeder, pet shop, online, market etc.) to be desexed prior to sale, or a commitment to do so undertaken at point of sale. Any person purchasing a cat for breeding must have a valid breeder's licence.

It is interesting that, while the committee was sitting, sadly we had to put down our pet cat at home. He had been run over or fallen off a tree or something and he was severely injured. We went to the Animal Welfare League and picked up a kitten and I thought, 'This is a pretty expensive cat—$195,' but, when I look back, I think that when buying a pet it is probably the best money we could have spent because all the vaccinations had been done, it was microchipped, it was tattooed and all ready to go and, for the benefit of the committee, to whom I used to talk about the life of this kitten, it is doing marvellously well, and it is a great little pet at home.

Recommendation nine: require councils to prepare separate cat management plans. I think that this is quite an important recommendation. At the moment councils have to prepare a dog and cat management plan. I think it is absolutely vital that a separate cat management plan to the dog management plan be prepared because there are so many more stray cats in society, and there are all these different plans that different councils use in managing their stray animal populations and, certainly, I take my hat off to what Mitcham Council has done in its plans. I have urged some of the local governments in my electorate to take a similar approach.

Another approach we saw interstate was in regard to recommendation 10: urge councils to adopt the 'found pets' initiative to facilitate the return of pets to their owners. In evidence we heard that this was a great initiative where found pets are put online—out there on the web for all to see—and this created far quicker response times, and these animals returned to their rightful owners. Recommendation 11: initiate public awareness programs into responsible pet welfare and ownership issues amongst the general public, with a particular focus on children; and the issues associated with irresponsible pet ownership and the nature and extent of the stray cat problem.

I certainly recommend the report to people who are interested in the welfare of dogs and cats as companion animals because we all should be interested in their welfare; they are fantastic companions. Without putting too heavy a burden on society, we still must do the right thing, in a regulatory way, to make sure that our animals are well looked after and that individuals fully know their responsibilities. As I have repeated a couple of times in my contribution, it is not just about having a lovely little animal at home; there is a lot of care over the next 14 or so years the animal may live, and people need to accept their responsibilities.

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (11:15): I want to make a very brief contribution. I wholeheartedly endorse the comments from the member for Hammond. Having owned Rhodesian Ridgebacks for so many years now that I cannot even remember, and having two big ones at home now, and being a past breeder, I know how difficult it is when you scrutinise people who come to look at your puppies to make sure that the puppy is going to a good home, that it is going to be well cared for and that people understand the responsibilities of taking a pet home—that it is a lifelong thing.

Some of our past Ridgebacks have lived to almost 15 years, and they have been extremely expensive. I say to the member for Morphett that my vet used to ask me where he should take his family on holiday, and I used to say him, 'It's a good choice to ask me, because I've probably paid for that holiday!' He is a wonderful vet. We still have the same vet, and he does a great job and he looks after my pets really well.

One of the things that does concern me is around pet shops. I know that we have some very good pet shops and that they do the right things, and that, when they sell their pets, they say that they are vaccinated and that you should take them off to have another vet check or whatever. But I was in a pet shop a few years ago and the owner of the shop said, 'Look, someone has dumped some kittens here,' and there they were in a cardboard box, trying to escape, as kittens do.

What really stunned me was that he took the kittens from the box and put them in with the other cats. I thought to myself, 'How irresponsible is that?' Those kittens clearly would not have been vaccinated and one would not have known whether they had any health issues—and there they were being put in with cats, which had a sign up saying that they had been vaccinated and they were healthy animals to take home, and that concerned me. So, I am not a supporter of people buying pets from pet shops, not just for that reason; I think there are other reasons.

In relation to the car boot sales the member for Hammond mentioned, I know someone who purchased a tiny little puppy out of the boot of a car at one of these fairs or whatever they have. After having the little pet for about five or six months—and obviously by that time you have fallen in love with the pet—it turned out that it had an horrendous heart defect, and there was absolutely nothing that could be done for that little puppy.

So, the owner had not only the trauma of knowing that their pet was going to die in the not too distant future but the horrendous expense that was associated with that in keeping the pet in a reasonable condition so that it lived a relatively happy life, which it did, I might say, and was not in pain. I thought about that and I thought about how many other puppies from that litter may have been afflicted with that same defect. I know that in Rhodesian Ridgebacks we have a defect in the breed that, if it is not picked up very early and you pass that puppy onto somebody, you could cause them to have to spend a lot of money in the future.

In fact, that happened to us with one of our puppies. It was missed by us and missed by the vet, but we took that puppy back and paid for surgery, which thankfully could be done to correct the defect, and they took their puppy on. That puppy grew into a lovely dog and she lived for about 12½ years, I think. That could have been an expense that the new owner should not have had to pay for.

I am concerned about those sorts of things. We see pets advertised in the paper, you have no idea what the parents are like—designer dogs, as the member for Hammond talked about. If you put a very large breed with another large breed their temperaments might be such that you produce aggressive dogs. If you are going to buy a pet and you do not see the parents, you do not know the temperament. In big dogs like mine, if they were of an aggressive nature, they could be a very dangerous dog. Thankfully the temperament of our breed is good, but if you mix the temperament of our dogs because of their size with a dog that has a different kind of temperament, you could have a mix of the breed where the dog is not suitable to be around children or out in the community.

For me, I think there needs to be a further investigation around how animals are sold. I have always thought there needed to be a registration for people who are selling pets, even cats, because if you are going to sell a pet you have to be responsible for the kind of animal that you are passing on to somebody else because somebody is likely to have that dog or cat for many years and you do not want them to have something that is going to cause a problem in the family or indeed cost them a lot of money.

Raising an animal can cost you bucketloads of dough with heartworm, vaccinations and all the things that go wrong with animals. They might cut themselves, they might break a limb, all those sorts of things. I guess something I would like to see is that eventually there be some form of registration so that it restricts people from doing car boot sales and flogging them off online. You have no idea what you are getting.

Puppy farming, I have to say I think is disgraceful, and I am not a supporter of designer dogs because I think there is nothing wrong with the original breeds, the same as cats. These creatures have evolved into a specific kind of breed that functions as they breed for a purpose, and I do not see why you need to go ahead and change the breeds. It would be like genetic engineering of human beings. I guess for some that might be a good thing, I am not so sure. They are just a few of my thoughts.

I think the report is a good one. It has been well worked through and I hope in the future that perhaps there may be an extension of that to look at some other things. I think if people are going to buy a pet and they don't want to buy it from a breeder who is a registered breeder, then certainly we should look at the Animal Welfare League because I know they do a fantastic job. Their animals are vetted, vaccinated and microchipped which is absolutely important and you would walk away from there getting a really good pet that you know is going to be a family member for a long time.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:24): The member for Torrens inspires me to say a few things because we all have a certain affiliation and connection to what she just said in relation to our animals. My wife and I are certainly no exception. I want to make a couple of comments in relation to the select committee on dogs and cats. They are companion animals and we rely on them. Particularly in this job you need to have an animal in the family because they are loyal and they will never let you down and they will always be there. When the chips are down, they are great therapy to sit there with.

We have a large German Shepherd—a beautiful, thoroughbred dog—which we did not have to buy because he was in a family which could not cope with him. Because we are on a farm and he needed the space, he was given to us as a nine-month-old dog. He has been desexed, but he is just so fantastic. The saddest thing at the moment is that part of the morning ritual with this dog would be he would get you out of bed quickly so he could go and get the paper—100 yards down the road to pick up the paper and bring it back.

Of course, sadly it is no longer thrown out, and he cannot understand. So, what I do is go down the night before and chuck a paper out. But, he is starting to wise up—he has picked that one up before! We get so close to these dogs. Dogs are so useful in society today. Seeing-eye dogs and guide dogs are so valuable, as are the hearing dogs, and I cannot believe how intelligent and perceptive these dogs are. They do become a very big part of our lives. As has been said, people do buy kittens, puppies and even piglets—

Mrs Geraghty: Ah yes, tell us about the pig!

Mr VENNING: —but do not consider what happens when the pet grows up. As the member for Torrens was just inferring, I had a pet pig, and its name was Bertha. It grew up to be a large sow, but she was quite incredible.

The Hon. R.B. Such: Big Bertha?

Mr VENNING: Big Bertha. When it came time for mating, I would open the back of the ute and she would just jump in—no hurdles, nothing—and we would go down to the neighbour's place, the job was done, and we would bring her back. It was quite legendary. I raised this matter in this house many years ago, and the member for Torrens and particularly the member for Giles have never forgotten about Bertha.

We do become very attached to them. Pigs are highly intelligent animals; they really are. I went to watch the performing pigs the other night at the Adelaide Show. It was just amazing how they can train these little piglets—because, of course, they are not very old, and they are not very big—to that level when they are so young and so quickly; it amazes me. But, it is certainly worth watching.

What we have to understand with pets, and what people do not understand, is that they are a tie; your responsibility is to them, as it is with our dog Darchi. When you go away for a week-long or 10-day holiday, you have to consider the dog. You cannot just leave him tied up, and you cannot just park him with a neighbour; you have to make proper plans for them. When you have them, you have to realise that is your responsibility.

I do agree with the member for Hammond. We have had dogs, and particularly working dogs, over the years. We have always had a working dog, although not so much at the moment. Kelpies, which are great working dogs and highly intelligent animals, need their exercise; you cannot have kelpies in built-up areas. When the time comes to get a new dog, you always note the neighbour with a bitch that is having a litter, and you put your name down for one and buy it. I hope that—I have not studied that part of this select committee recommendation—

Mr Pederick: They are not part of that; they are working dogs, so they are out of it.

Mr VENNING: The working dogs are exempt? Well, I am happy about that. I notice the member for Giles has just walked into the room, so she might hear about Bertha a bit later on. I would agree you know where the good dogs are, and the trading between farmers of the working dogs is certainly important. I do agree that we need to enforce basic breeding standards: we do not want to see these hybrid-type animals bred just for the sake of curiosity. I certainly agree that we need to cut out non-legitimate animal traders. I find puppy farms abhorrent.

In relation to microchipping, registration and tattoos, I think most owners are responsible, and the select committee would pick up on that. The hygiene of dogs is very important. As the member for Morphett would know, you have to be so careful with their hygiene, especially with long-haired dogs, particularly with eczema and dermatitis. Again, 99 per cent of owners do the right thing.

I think the cat management plan is a separate issue. We also have a cat called Gussygus. He is a moggy if ever there was, but he is a character; he has attitude big time, and he can boss this German Shepherd around like you would not believe. What worries me are stray cats. I believe stray cats are a big problem and they really are killing machines. When you consider how they can climb and jump, they are miniature leopards, really. They are killing machines, and they do have a huge impact on native birds and wildlife.

I think feral cats are a bigger problem that we want to recognise, so much so that when it is in season, we will put a bell around Gussygus' neck so that when he is around, you can hear him. He gets annoyed, but you have to put a bell around his neck so that the native animals know he is around. I commend the report; it is an issue close to most of our hearts and I will certainly go back and restudy the report. I think it is very appropriate that we have debated this committee's report today.

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (11:30): I rise to speak on the select committee for dogs and cats. I was very honoured to be a member of the select committee. In my own household, I have a menagerie that consists of a 14-year-old golden retriever who has had a knee reconstruction and two near-death experiences over the years. We just recently lost one of our guinea pigs, so we are down to one. We have four chooks and a princess parrot, so needless to say, pets are a big part of my household, and the improvement of animal welfare is something that I am very proud to be an advocate for.

The primary objective of the committee was to look at ways to eliminate cruelty to dogs and cats, as well as to reduce the number of unwanted animals being euthanased. Many domestic animals are destroyed every year in South Australia and this is something we need to address as parliamentarians and also as a community. There is a social and economic cost to the needless destruction of so many healthy dogs and cats. The vast majority of people in our community support improved animal welfare legislation. The committee received 168 written submissions, nearly all of them calling for improvements to animal welfare legislation.

One issue at the core of the committee's concern was the consideration of a ban on intensive dog breeding or puppy farms. The RSPCA defines a puppy farm as 'An intensive dog breeding facility that is operated under inadequate conditions that fail to meet the dogs' behavioural, social and/or physiological needs.' In essence, puppy farms are commercial factories in which dogs are bred tirelessly, and housed in small, confined, unacceptable conditions with poor ventilation, hygiene, veterinary care and diet.

There have been numerous distressing examples in the media of puppy farms in recent years. Sadly, while the committee was preparing this report, the RSPCA was engaged in an action against a suspected puppy farm located in the Adelaide Hills. While they are much more difficult to locate and monitor, the committee also heard evidence regarding kitten farms, which was equally disturbing.

Based on the written submissions and committee hearings, the committee made a number of recommendations, some small and others significant. These include:

the introduction of an enforceable standard for the breeding of dogs and cats;

mandatory licensing and registration of breeders;

mandatory desexing and microchipping;

the display of licensing and microchip information at point of sale;

a cooling-off period before handover of a companion animal;

minimum qualifications for those involved in the breeding, sale or shelter of companion animals; and

improved public awareness and education about the responsibilities of pet ownership—just to name a few.

It is a great aspect of our parliament that representatives from across the political spectrum can come together and examine a topic such as this and work cooperatively to come up with solutions. The recommendations of this report will make cruelty in the trade of companion animals illegal, enforceable and punishable.

If the recommendations are adopted, within a few years, all owned animals will be microchipped, vaccinated and desexed, other than those intended for breeding by a registered breeder. This will cut down on the number of unwanted litters and reduce the unnecessary destruction of so many dogs and cats. That would be a magnificent achievement and a job worth doing, and I thank my fellow committee members and staff for the privilege of working with them on this worthwhile project.

Motion carried.