Please speak for cats - submit to the Draft Animal Care and Protection Bill. https://engage.vic.gov.au/new-animal-welfare-act-victoria Submissions need to be in by 8th of March 2024. This is our only opportunity for submissions before Victoria begins changing animal laws. (Probably can submit from anywhere in the world - we need many submissions. change.org petitions are rejected by VicGovs.) It is easiest to write your submission and just upload (as reading the whole Act is very long). Scientific evidence from the Australian Pet Foundation is not being followed - please refer to this in submissions.
Please write in your own words. Please include these links: Community Cat Programs work to save both cats and wildlife, and at much lower cost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQbK3R36Xjg https://petwelfare.org.au/2022/08/31/australian-pet-welfare-foundation-position-statement-on-cat-containment/
24-hr cat curfews fail Victoria, and have failed in Casey and Yarra Ranges: https://petwelfare.org.au/2022/09/02/key-issues-to-consider-related-to-mandated-24-7-cat-containment/
Way to prevent killing and lower pound intake: https://theconversation.com/australian-shelters-and-pounds-kill-50-000-mostly-healthy-cats-and-kittens-in-a-year-theres-a-way-to-prevent-this-pointless-killing-201947 Full article: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/11/1771
This Act replaces The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The new Act was announced as part of ’10 year cat management strategy for the state of Victoria’, which included ‘cat containment grants’ and the optional Pet Census that was open worldwide, which allowed multiple fill-ins from a person, and generated questions on only one type of pet - collecting skewed data. The Regulations link states more regulations will follow this Act. ‘Regulations are not debated and passed by Parliament but .. (by) the authority to make them under an Act’.
Governments use this time of year to hide their intentions, to lessen public knowledge and dissent. Victoria could end up like the ACT with a statewide permanent 24-hr ban on cats, pushing ‘War on Cats’ as ‘politically popular’, against evidence.
I have written one submission here, we need many more in different words & experience: https://www.academia.edu/114881114/Submission_to_Victorian_Animal_Care_and_Protection_Bill_Act_Knox_AdvoCats
Although sentience of animals is recognized in the ‘Care’ Act a lawyer warns it gives no legal protection. Does it also make it easier to target cats and owners? Will introduced animals suffer more cruelty?
What is Victoria doing to lessen pound intake and euthanasia? ‘Victoria had the highest total number of admissions’ of cats - 52,893. Victoria and New South Wales … having the highest total number of cats euthanized’ (14664 and 14464) https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/11/1771
page 31 Part 3—Care requirements. 17, 3d: the best available scientific evidence relating to the animal's species. Local Councils have not followed the best available scientific evidence on cats - regarding population control methods that work, and vets concern about contained-cat diseases such as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease.
Cat containment can hide more cruelty, and make it less likely to be reported, keeping cats out of sight and out of mind, as silent sufferers, and an easy target for populist hate speech and false blame. More felines, females, as lesser-deserving of freedom outside, of public socialisation, jumping, walks, running, parks, friendships, at risk of domestic abuse?
Page 72-74 Division 2 63— Although it is ‘an offence to not use an animal in the demonstration of any product, device’. 65 (b)(i) then makes exemption for ‘uses the animal for the purpose of hunting, taking, killing’ (d) (ii) an approved industry arrangement. page 85 (a) (i) administers the substance for the purpose of controlling pest animals, and (c) (i) hunting, killing
The ‘Felixer’ is named explicity for cats, and shoots 1080 poison that also torturously kills pet dogs, dingo pups, Wedge-tailed eagles, native marsupials and poisons habitat. There is no anti-dote. The WA government spends $7.6 million - including ‘Felixer’ killing robots, which are also promoted by the private Invasive Species Council. https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/poison-shooting-robots-on-the-front-line-of-war-against-feral-cats-in-wa-20230628-p5dk4n.html
Local Councils are not using the ‘best available scientific evidence’ on cats when developing their Domestic Animal Management Plans. Local Councils enact 24-hr cat curfews, not evidence-based, instead using misinformation, and personal opinion, as ‘politically popular’. Often there is no community consultation on 24-hr cat curfews that adheres to the Local Government Act. Local Councils cause community division, inequity, enable hate-speech towards felines, and abet cat cruelty by encouraging ‘free cat traps’ - rising the homeless cat population, rising euthanasia, and harming community health. Science shows 24-hr cat curfews do not work and do not save wildlife - and cost the community much more (six times plus) for greater trapping and killing.
Authorised officers 'seizure' and 'disposal' of animals needs greater oversight so that Local Councils do not continue to so easily seize and kill dogs and cats.
Current cat law, which would also be revised after the new Animal Act: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/domestic-animals-act/codes-of-practice/code-of-practice-for-the-private-keeping-of-cats
Invasive Species Councils’ 2023-2033 report pushing Felixer 1080 poison of homeless cats (which also kills native animals, pet dogs, and poisons habitat) https://invasives.org.au/publications/revised-threat-abatement-plan-tap-for-predation-by-feral-cats-2023-2033/
Submissions need to be in by 8th of March. This Act replaces The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act - how is ‘cat containment’ caging cats, and cruelty - ‘care and protection’? This is our only opportunity for submissions before Victorian begins changing animal laws.
Please feel free to offer, share, advice, and please let all Victorian cat and dog lovers know.
Thank you