Michelle Lehane: Hello all. Whatever your thoughts are about Dan Andrews, he did give tenants the right to keep their cats. We need to inundate him via the various contact methods listed below to ask for his help leading up to the Knox Council Meeting on 28th February.
The automated reply to Dan Andrews email reads that it can take 8-10 weeks to receive a reply, and we don't have that kind of time. However, if you want his email, it is; daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au
Here are all of Dan Andrews other forms of contact, which I'm hoping will get our pleas for his help out there quicker. Which ever contact method you prefer, please contact him as soon as possible, as we urgently need him to intervene;
Website; https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/contact-us
Website; https://www.danandrews.com.au/contact
Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP
Twitter; https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP
Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/danielandrewsmp/
Cruelty to cats goes beyond any politics. Dan Andrews gave tenants the right to keep their cats saying 'It's the right thing to do.' A Knox Councillor has told residents that lifetime lockdown for cats 'is the right thing to do.'
Two Knox Councillors are residential Landlords, with personal interest. This law removes tenants rights for cats, and cat-owners, from having equality with dog-owners in Knox.
Council continues to close meetings to the public, saying they are using pandemic law, while they finalise 24-hour lifetime lockdown. I have received a threat from Knox so need to be careful. morgan-shae@ihug.com.au
Law-making is required to be transparent, to have community consultation. Some of the six Councillors who voted for it, have indicated they will put through this law to 'educate' us.
Even if you do not like Dan Andrews, he loves cats. Council has not been listening, with some councillors voting on their personal interests. Please contact Dan Andrews https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/contact-us
previous Update:
Wording of the Order, Hiding Identities of Complainants, Animal Abuse
Our Lists of Defects are now on https://www.academia.edu/71778676/Knox_Council_Defects_in_24_hr_cat_curfew_report Please look at the wording of the law - the Order as written means a Knox cat is committing a crime if it sits in its front garden, or if it goes to a vet. The Order as written contravenes the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
On Monday February 28th 2022, Knox Council votes on the 2021-2025 Domestic Animal Management Plan containing the 24-hr-cat-curfew. This is the finalisation of the 24-hour-cat-curfew. Please email, ring, Council CEO and councillors with our concerns before they vote.
Caging Cats, and owners, Is Cruel.
Knox Council plans to hold February’s cat-vote meeting online. Watch for February’s Meeting Agenda (it is stated to be online five days before, but Council put January’s up only one business-day before the meeting.) https://www.knox.vic.gov.au/our-council/councillors-and-meetings/council-meetings/agenda-and-minutes/current-agendas-and-minutes February Live Meeting Stream 7pm http://webcast.knox.vic.gov.au/video.php
Knox Council believes it is untouchable, beyond any trustworthy watchdog.
Less than 20% of Knox registered cats are deemed ‘nuisance’, and cat complaints are 1/3 of the dog complaints in Knox. The over 80percent of homeless, impounded cats cannot pay, and the poorest owners and renters will bear the highest fines. Why make a law without evidence of efficacy for Council statements?
Following the money trail, shows only council coffers and landlords benefit. Dog and cat owners pay annual registrations, for which Knox dogs receive many returns, and this law removes all benefit for cat-owners - cat regos even pay for the yearly dog party Pets in the Park, not inclusive, and unsafe, for cats. In Knox, pooches go shopping, run free in 300plus parks, while pussies pay for imprisonment, punishment and put-downs.
Knox Council has a record of animal abuse, look at the case of Mytzle: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/outer-east/cat-traps-that-led-to-mytzles-death-still-available-from-knox-council/news-story/a1b651d68ca6e97a2e3046ff2e3dd373
And the case of Izzy the dog, her owner fought hard and won Izzy’s life, which cost Knox over $600,000, though Knox sent Izzy to Queensland. ***
https://www.smh.com.au/national/high-court-told-dog-on-death-row-did-not-receive-fair-hearing-20150414-1ml2ou.html
How is Knox Council qualified to educate us?
By hiding identities of complainants*, a neighbour can make a cat complaint, engaging Knox Council to hound a cat-owner from their home and community with unaffordable fines, by forcing untenable living arrangements, and by removing cat-owners’ equal rights. Knox Council is dictating the deaths of cats, and cat-lovers being able to live well in Knox.
We are working on the Ombudsman reply. Please can AdvoCats professional statisticians/data analysts who can help with our case, contact morgan-shae@ihug.com.au or andysdixon@hotmail.com
Two residential Landlord Councillors are making a law that overrides tenants’ rights for cats, removing cat-owners’ equality with dog-owners. Councillors Personal Interest: https://www.knox.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/Personal%20Interest%20Return%20-%20Public%20Summary%20-%20Returns%20to%2030%20Sep%202021.pdf
Two Councillors are residential Landlords. In March 2020 renters finally won the right to keep their pets. Landlords have to pay a fee and go to court, VCAT*, to refuse a pet. They cannot reasonably refuse a Pet Request - unless there is a municipality Local Law. This 24-hour-curfew removes cats from having the same rights as dogs, for tenants in Knox.
Councillors denied any community consultation on 24-hours, in June; and again in August 2021 to prevent a survey, costing less than ‘$10 each’ per registered cat-owner. Knox Council, regardless of diversity, has hawked false ‘experts’, with no statistics, no evidence.
Some Councillors state bio-diversity is their aim, yet have voted to give Developers permits to destroy habitat and neighbourhood character. Native animals and bird habitat are being decimated by overdevelopments. Power-brokers blame the voiceless, make incorrect statements, and pass laws for personal profit. Like wolves at the door, using a pandemic to prey.
Tenants Victoria, Pets: https://tenantsvic.org.au/advice/during-your-tenancy/pets-and-your-tenancy/
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews on why the Residential Tenancies Act was changed to recognise cats as family members:
2017: https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/photos/pets-are-part-of-my-familyand-no-family-should-have-to-give-away-their-littlest-/1548406938557170/
https://twitter.com/danielandrewsmp/status/927416865751568384
2020: https://m.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/posts/2910057212392129?locale2=de_DE
27 Dec 2021 article on Pets in rentals https://www.realestate.com.au/news/pets-in-rentals-victoria-how-reform-has-fared-almost-two-years-on/
*June 28th Cat Report states the 24-hour-curfew will also hide complainants identities.
**On academia.edu with free account, our Ombudsman case documents can be accessed and downloaded (three sets of papers) https://www.academia.edu/52471373/24_hr_Cat_Curfew_Knox_Council_Trajectory_and_Formal_Complaint
https://www.academia.edu/71778676/Knox_Council_Defects_in_24_hr_cat_curfew_report
https://www.academia.edu/71778979/Knox_Council_Defects_in_making_24_hr_cat_curfew_Local_Govt_Act
*** Izzy the dog's outcome: https://www.administrativelawmatters.com/blog/2015/07/02/its-a-dogs-life-isbester-v-knox-city-council-2015-hca-20/
Ashlley Morgan - Shae Please tell everyone. Keep in touch on Knox AdvoCats on Facebook. Cat Lives Matter!