UPDATE: Evie’s Bark has been officially Tabled!
On Thursday, 22 May 2025, Mr Andrew Mackay MLA officially presented our petition to the NT Legislative Assembly.
Now tabled as:
No. 293 – Petition 12: Immediate Action to Protect Companion Animals
Backed by 1,495 petitioners
This is a major step forward for the safety, recognition and respect our pets deserve.
We’re awaiting Minister Gerard Maley’s response within 12 sitting days and will share it as soon as it's received.
**The petition remains open until the impending debate in July which we will then close the petition down and declare it a 'Victory'!
New signatures won't be formally tabled, but they will continue to show growing public support. 
Pet Guardians voices can be heard to show our Pets Lives Do Matter!
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UPDATE: 21st May 2025
Evie’s Bark is heading to Parliament!

We’re thrilled to share that Mr Andrew Mackay MLA’s office has received our petition, complete with 1,470 signatures across 32 pages. It will be officially tabled in Parliament this Thursday, 22nd May 2025.

In a few weeks, Evie’s Bark Petition will be formally debated in Parliament - a critical milestone toward meaningful change for animal welfare.

But we’re not done yet.
While new signatures from this point won’t be included in the formal tabling, they still matter - a lot! Every new name shows growing public support and keeps the momentum alive in the lead-up to the debate. That support sends a loud, clear message: "We want better protections for our pets"

This is a chance to engage more people, spread awareness, and give pet guardians a way to stand up for what’s right. The more voices behind Evie’s Bark, the stronger our message becomes - for Evie, for every pet lost in care and for those who deserve safety, recognition, and respect 💛

Once the debate is held, we’ll mark this moment as a "Victory" on Change.org and officially close the petition. But until then, let’s keep going.

📣Thank you to Change.org for your ongoing support and guidance.
📣And thank YOU - for every signature, share, and voice raised.

Let’s keep pushing forward. Please keep sharing our Evie's Bark Petition! 

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Please sign the petition today for Evies Bark to be implemented and to save future innocent lives and stand up for animal welfare in the Northern Territory. Together, we can all make a difference for our pets who rely on us for care and protection.

By signing this petition, you are taking a stand for the urgent regulation of the pet boarding industry. Your support will help ensure that our pets are treated with care and respect they deserve, holding pet boarding services accountable for their actions and ensuring the safety and well-being of our companion animals. 

We are also advocating that animals are sentient beings and should not be classed as thing, product, property or possession. Pets are companions and family.

This petition will be presented to the Legislative Assembly in 2025. 

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To the Speaker and the Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory

WE THE UNDERSIGNED RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH

We the undersigned residents of the Northern Territory, respectfully bring to your attention the urgent need for regulation within the fast growing pet boarding industry to ensure the safety and welfare of our beloved pets.  

This petition is presented in memory of Evie, a cherished pet who tragically lost her life due to a preventable mauling while under the care of a pet boarding facility, as well as to honour of other victims who have lost their lives in similar circumstances at these facilities. 

Many pets in the Northern Territory have suffered injury or died due to the lack of oversight and accountability in the unregulated pet boarding and pet sitting sector. As it stands, these pet boarding facilities and commercial pet sitters operating through platforms such as Mad Paws and Pawshake etc, are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act 2018.  This regulatory gap endangers the innocent lives of our companion animals, leaving their guardians without assurances of safety or recourse when standards of care are violated. 

The following tragedies, shared with the consent of their guardians, highlight the urgent need for reform. There are additional stories, but their guardians are still distressed to share them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evie - March 2024 - died from mauling in pet boarding facility

Marko - June 2024 -  died from drowning after escaping from a pet sitter 

Badja - April 2020 - died from mauling in a pet boarding facility

Bella - June 2012 - died from mauling in a pet boarding facility

Under the current laws, animals are classified as ‘Property and Possessions’. However, animals are sentient beings with their own needs, emotions and rights. Our pets deserve legal recognition and should be treated with the dignity they deserve as sentient beings and cherished companion animals.

WHY REFORM IS ESSENTIAL: 

We propose the introduction of Evie’s Bark, a comprehensive framework to regulate pet boarding facilities and commercial pet sitters in the Northern Territory. This initiative would align the Northern Territory with best practices from other jurisdictions and ensure the safety, dignity and welfare of animals under professional care. 

PROPOSED REFORMS UNDER EVIE’S BARK:

1.REGULATION OF ANIMAL BOARDING FACILITIES:  

🐾Mandatory Licencing

• Require all pet boarding facilities and commercial pet sitters to obtain licences, ensuring they meet established standards of care.
• Establish a clear system of inspections and audits to ensure on-going compliance with these standards.

🐾Development of an Operational Code of Practice

• Set specific guidelines for housing, hygiene, health care, staff-to-animal ratios, including CCTV surveillance and emergency protocols.
• Draw from existing models such as Victoria’s Code of Practice for Operation of Boarding Establishments and ACT Animal Welfare (Overnight Animal Boarding Establishments) Mandatory Code of Practice 2012 to ensure best practices. 

🐾 Injury Reporting and Accountability

• Mandate the reporting of animal injuries or death to a regulatory body including establishing an Animal Death Registry for animal boarding facilities.
• Provide pet guardians with clear pathways for recourse in cases of negligence and/or mistreatment.

🐾Education and Training for Providers

• Introduce mandatory training and certification programs for individuals and businesses offering pet care services, ensuring they meet high standards of care and professionalism. 

2.  RECOGNITION OF ANIMALS AS SENTIENT BEINGS

• Amend the Animal Welfare Act 2018 (NT) to formally recognise animals as sentient beings capable of experiencing emotions such as happiness, fear and pain.

3.  RECOGNITION OF PETS AS COMPANION ANIMALS 

• Reclassify their legal status of pets as “property and possessions” to “companions” to acknowledge that pets are not just objects, but sentient beings who form deep emotional bonds with their owners and significantly contribute to their well-being and have integral roles in our families.

YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLY PRAY THAT:

The Legislative Assembly takes immediate action to protect companion animals through the implementation of Evie’s Bark. These reforms are crucial to prevent further tragedies, provide peace of mind to pet guardians, and uphold the values of care and respect that our community holds for its animals. 

AND YOUR PETITIONS, AS IN DUTY BOUND, WILL EVERY PRAY.