On the 8th of May, the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on social media that the Queensland Government are in the process of amending the Animal Protection and Care Act 2001 (APCA). 

Included in that amendment are a ban on specific dog training tools including the prong collar, with provisions that will enable the Government  to ban any other 'restraint devices' at any time. The definition given to restraint devices is:

“restraint device'' means a device fitted to an animal for the purpose of restraining it. Examples— collars, leads, harnesses, muzzles, halters”

In the initial process of amending the act, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries released a discussion paper to initiate the review. This was then put forward to the community to provide feedback on proposed changes. It is here where key community stakeholders and the wider community have an opportunity to express support or concerns of the changes and the impact they will have on the community 

In that initial paper, the proposed changes detailed by the Queensland Government did not mention restrictions to dog training tools and/or methods. Indeed, training dogs was not mentioned at all as a focus of the proposed reforms. 

The proposed ban on prong collars and ‘restraint devices’ affects the entire community and we deserve to have our professional and personal opinions heard before such drastic changes are made. 

The Queensland Government needs to hear from key stakeholders which include but are not not limited to:

• Members of the Queensland Government currently utilising these training tools, including Police and Military units
• Certified Animal Training Professionals, working to improve standards of pet ownership and care, community safety and education around responsible pet training and ownership
• Animal Welfare Organisations
• Members of the public who own pets or have pet dogs living in their community

This petition is put forward to halt the process until meaningful consultation with the community is completed.

Detailed Version

During the initial process of amending the act, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries released a discussion paper to initiate the review of the ACPA. In their outcomes report they state:

“The discussion paper provided a framework for stakeholder and community feedback on current provisions of the ACPA and proposals for new or amended provisions.”

However, this could not be further from the truth. Key community stakeholders did not have the opportunity to put forward their feedback on the proposed amendments for tool bans. 

Page 37 of the report, section titled “Relevant E-Petitions” acknowledges that 

“there were six animal welfare related e-petitions that were tabled in the Legislative Assembly during the consultation period. Issues raised in these e-petitions (listed below) are also being considered as part of the ACPA review process”. 

Of these six petitions, the relevant subject matter of three of these petitions was also included as part of the initial discussion paper; as such, stakeholders and the community were provided the opportunity to give feedback on these matters. 

These included:

• Make suitable shelter mandatory for all farmed animals (Petition no. 3499-21)
• Tethering of dogs must be prohibited (Petition no. 3501-21)
• Continue the use of all methods, including dogs, to control feral pigs (Petition no. 3515-21)

The other three relevant e-petitions, for which there was no correlating subject matter in the initial discussion paper:

• Ban the use of shock collars on dogs (Petition no. 3526-21)
• Illegal to import - Prohibit the use of prong collars in Queensland (Petition no. 3530- 21)
• Prohibit the use of choke collars in Queensland (Petition no. 3531-21)

Since the closing of these petitions, there has been no opportunity provided to relevant stakeholders or the community to be surveyed or consulted on these matters. All three petitions listed above closed on 23rd May 2021. The closing date for feedback on the review of the Animal Protection and Care Act (2001), as detailed in the Outcomes Report, was 21st May 2021.

There was at no point within the public consultation material made available by the Queensland Government any mention of restrictions to dog training tools and/or methods. Indeed, training dogs was not mentioned at all as a focus of the proposed reforms. 

The proposed amendments do very much affect our industry as dog trainers, as pet owners and as a community.

Key stakeholders that should be considered and consulted include but not limited to:

• Members of the Queensland Government currently utilising these training tools, including Police and Military units
• Certified Animal Training Professionals, working to improve standards of pet ownership and care, community safety and education around responsible pet training and ownership
• Animal Welfare Organisations
• Members of the public who own pets or have pet dogs living in their community

Further, as consultation with the industry has not occurred, the true economic and social impact of the proposed changes has not been adequately represented throughout the amendment process and the Queensland Government has not considered the true cost of the proposals.

This petition is put forward to halt the process until meaningful consultation with the community is completed.