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How much has that doggy in the window suffered?

Nicole Dungan

by Nicole Dungan

19 Dec 06:00am

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Filed under: Animal Cruelty, Animals, Pets, Puppy Factories

159 comments

Watch this. Now, do you have a dog? Did you get it from a pet store? Or online?

Oscar weighed just 1.6kg. Pic: Deb Tranter

If you did get your dog from a petshop or ordered it online, there’s a strong chance you have unwittingly bought a dog from a puppy factory.

A puppy factory – like the dark satanic mills which ruthlessly exploited children of the Industrial Revolution – churns out cute designer crossbreeds which we all go goo and gah over. While the puppies mostly go on to have good lives with owners, walkies, grass, toys, food and vet care, the breeding animals do not. They exist for the sole purpose of breeding, and live in appalling conditions, in tiny cages, sometimes with barely enough food and water to sustain their horrible lives.

Their fur is often matted and covered in their own excrement. Many suffer conditions such as skin abscesses, infections or uncleaned teeth which go untreated by professional vets.

Some have never seen the light of day, never been walked, played with by humans or another dog. They have never been loved.

But wait, there’s more. Once these animals have served their useful purpose, many of them are simply killed.

Debra Tranter – the number 1 enemy of the puppy farmers – has been fighting for 20 years to expose the cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy factories and she is the founder of Oscar’s Law.

Debra has seen the horrible effects of overbreeding on female dogs - prolapsed uteruses, weeping mammary tumours – and male dogs with their genitals matted to their legs. Fellas, think about the last time you got caught in your zip.

Many of us would run from these images – because once you see them you can’t get them out of your head. But Debra is fighting for the rights of these animals. She receives daily hate mail, threats and has had break ins at her home. She is slandered and has had some outrageous accusations made against her.

Debra says she loves the hate mail because it shows she is having an effect on this industry of shame.

So who is Oscar?

Oscar was a breeder. His purpose in life was to exist in a small cage and service female dogs. He was a prized animal because he was a ‘teacup’ size. Perfect for the lap dog market.

The night Debra took him from his cage and rescued him from the puppy factory, he was only six. He’d been sleeping in pure filth, his own excrement, his genitals were matted to his leg, his ears full of black sludge and mites. His skin was tearing because he was so badly matted.

When Debra took him, he had his first hug, his first love. She took him straight from that factory to the vet for the first time in his life. He weighed 2.2kg – which was small for even a teacup sized dog – but after he was sedated, his fur clipped and unmated he weighed only 1.6kg.

That night, the police raided Debra’s home and charged her with theft and Oscar was returned to that puppy farm. After 20 years of campaigning and liberating dogs, this was the first criminal conviction Debra had received.

But because he’d been desexed by the vet, the puppy farmer had no use for him and Oscar was put up for sale. Debra disguised herself, went to this puppy farm and purchased him.

There are two types of luck in this world – and Oscar has had both. He now has a home where he is safe, happy, clean, healthy and loved.

Oscar’s Law aims to educate people about the illegal trade of puppies bred from puppy factories and backyard breeders.  In October the Victorian Government passed legislation which includes defining ‘puppy farm’. There is a code of practice and breaches of it can incur fines of up to $30,000 and breeding bans of up to 10 years.

Under the Victorian legislation it is also illegal to advertise a dog for sale without a microchip.

Perhaps most importantly, the Victorian Government will also raise community awareness about ethical pet adoption.

While this legislation is a God-send for dogs in Victoria, it needs to be copied by all Australian State Governments. There is nothing to stop a breeder moving to South Australia or New South Wales where they can continue their brutal maltreatment of animals for a quick buck.

So this Christmas, if you’re thinking it’s time to get a puppy, don’t buy through a petshop or online.

Choose a legitimate, registered breeder. Do your homework and work out what dog will suit you, and visit the breeder and meet the dogs’ parents.

Better yet, adopt a dog without an owner from the RSPCA. They need you.

Or do what my good friend did when I told her about the Oscar’s Law site. She visited it, took one look at the Nobby the beagle, made a donation and didn’t look at the site again.

If you can afford a few dollars, donate. If you can’t donate, sign the petition, send a letter to your State Agricultural Minister. Demand action.

And let’s eradicate this horrible industry forever.

Nicole wrote this article with the help of Debra Tranter.

Most commented

429Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself
390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin
333Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer
313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking
265Who murdered the Arts degree?
246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...

159 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • acotrel says:

      05:25am | 19/12/11

      My dog is one of THOSE breeds. He gets wrapped up in a blanket every night, and fed doggy roll and bones from the supermarket.  He also gets milk with an egg in it from my wife.  I inherited him from my step-daughter who also loves him dearly.  He is a complete arsehole social climber - he’d just love to be top dog, but he’s third dog, and that’s where he’ll stay.  I’ve heard you should never look a big dog straight in the eyes, however I always to that to him, and we have a mexican stand-off.  He usually ends up wagging his tail.  He will never walk in a door before me - he knows his place, and is secure in his world. I just love his tough attitude.

      Reply

    • Erick says:

      07:04am | 19/12/11

      Thanks for taking this opportunity to remind us what a cool dude you are, acotrel. Who wants to talk about boring old puppy farms, anyway? Your ability to dominate a puppy by sheer willpower is far more interesting.

    • gobsmack says:

      09:08am | 19/12/11

      There you go, acotrel.  Any comments must be relevant to the article under which they are posted.  You’ve been told.

    • Erick says:

      03:23pm | 19/12/11

      Come now, gobsmack. It’s very important for readers to know about acotrel’s amazing ability to overwhelm domestic animals with the power of his mind alone.

      In fact, someone should write a book about people who have this extraordinary talent. They could call it “The Men Who Stare At Mutts”.

    • Anne71 says:

      07:56am | 20/12/11

      @Erick - is that like hypnotising chickens? I’m intrigued!

    • Nom says:

      01:56pm | 20/12/11

      Ugh, seriously? You’re probably jealous because you want milk with an egg in it from your wife.

    • Kipling says:

      05:55am | 19/12/11

      And people I know wonder why I am a Misanthrope…

      Just a note, there are a variety of dog rescue sites available now, not just the RSPCA. Many of which do an excellent job, not only in rescuing and fostering dogs but in providing good observational and behavioural information on the animals they adopt out.

      A rescued dog is a great friend for life.

      Reply

    • xar says:

      08:50am | 19/12/11

      the petrescue website is a great resource, and the Animal Welfare League of QLD do an amazing job (can’t comment on other state branches as, like the rspca, they are all different )

    • Yip says:

      09:23am | 19/12/11

      SAFE (Save Animals From Euthanasia), based in WA, are excellent. They do a lot of good work in the rural areas, as well as Perth. Also Greyhound Angels in WA rescue ex-racing greyhounds and have a great fostering program (greyhounds are the best dogs ever!).
      Got my pup from SAFE three years ago, his previous ‘owner’ hadn’t sterilized his yellow lab, and when she, of course, became pregnant and whelped, he simply threw her and the pups into a sandpit without adequate food or vet care. Anyway, SAFE managed to rescue the mother and pups (after one had died, and the owner had been reported) and now I have the best dog ever.

    • Yip says:

      06:27pm | 19/12/11

      Best dog ever apart from a greyhound (;

    • gravy says:

      04:52pm | 20/12/11

      Petrescue is fantastic, what a wonderful service to help needy pets find a new loving home; it always breaks my heart seeing all those unwanted dogs and cats and there are thousands of them. To anybody who is looking to add a furry member to their family i would highly recommend checking out petrescue first, and STAY AWAY FROM PET STORE PUPPIES!

    • Mike says:

      06:06am | 19/12/11

      It should be illegal for dogs (and cats) to be sold in shops.  There are enough strays and unwanted dogs and cats around.  And why wasn’t Oscar’s owner charged with animal cruelty???

      Reply

    • Anne71 says:

      08:20am | 19/12/11

      Agreed, Mike. Pet shops should be banned altogether. It’s horrible to think that people can go to their local Westfield and buy a living animal, just like they’d buy a pair of shoes or an iPad.

    • xar says:

      08:48am | 19/12/11

      well some rescues are working with pet stores and their animals are displayed in stores, with a carer there with them and the adoption process still happens just as it would if they were at a shelter and the animals are far better cared for than many pet stores.  It is a great sollution to the problem that people find visiting a shelter to be really depressing.

    • Kika says:

      09:09am | 19/12/11

      I agree. Ban all live sales of puppies and kittens - particularly around Christmas time.

      Prosecutions against animal cruelty cases are a disgrace. I wrote to every single politician in my electorate, local, state and federal demanding tougher penalties on animal abuse and all I got back was bureaucratic BS.

    • Sarah says:

      09:11am | 19/12/11

      Agreed.

      Go to a registered, authorised breeder, or go to the RSCPA or pound. And breeders should charge a huge cost (even higher than there current huge costs) to eradicate fairweather friend purchasing. You’re less likely to buy a pet for a season, if it cost you 6,000

    • xar says:

      09:22am | 19/12/11

      sarah - ironicly you’ll often find the cross breed in the pet store costs more than a well bred pedigree from a registered breeder! Prices vary from breed to breed but the difference is a registered breeder wont sell to just any idiot who has the cash.

    • Deb says:

      09:47am | 19/12/11

      Another scam to be aware of now are people picking pups from farms and then selling them and duping people that they have been home reared.  They cant show the mother and tell purchasing that she is at an uncles house, or friends house.  Buyer beware, if you are looking for a pup, at the minimum you must see the mother, if a stud dog is used the breeder may not own the father, this is common in registered breeders of purebreds.  Thses adverts show the pups looking cute sitting on a blanket, then its back in the cage.  There are lots of lies and deceit in trying to sell puppy farmed pups.  Buyer be very aware and careful.

    • hope says:

      10:23am | 19/12/11

      yep the laws are wayyy to soft on animal abusers!!! but like everything in this world its always about the money~and i HATE that! greed kills everying

    • John says:

      03:35pm | 19/12/11

      Yep, RSPCA and such groups are the way to go. These animals need love and have been desexed to prevent the ever growing quantity of unwanted pups (and kittens). Also, your money goes to rescuing and saving other animals instead of lining the pockets of some shed owner who should be behind bars.

    • Anthony says:

      06:12am | 19/12/11

      Agreed that puppy farms are a disgrace but targeting pet shops that do not source puppy farm dogs and demonstrating in front of them is cruel to pet shop owners.

      Reply

    • Jade says:

      07:08am | 19/12/11

      Anthony, no registered/ethical breeder will sell their dogs to a pet store to sell. The only places pet shops get their dogs from are puppy farms and back yard breeders. Both things we need to work on eradicating.

    • penny says:

      07:49am | 19/12/11

      prove it…prove you dont buy from puppy farmers… no live animals in pet shops WE WANT OSCARS LAW

    • Mary J says:

      08:02am | 19/12/11

      @Jade, you are full of crap.  I am a registered breeder and have a great working relationship with the local pet stores.  I stop at nothing to make sure my dogs are cared for in an ethical fashion. For you just to make unsearched, false and blanket statements like that, just show that, like a lot of do gooder greenies are very narrow minded.  You should think hard before opening your mouth.

    • Anthony says:

      08:08am | 19/12/11

      Didn’t know that Pet stores do not get their puppys from legitimate sources. Thanks Jade

    • natasha says:

      08:32am | 19/12/11

      They need to have proof that they aren’t purchasing from puppy farms. If they cannot prove this then they obviously are hiding something. I don’t believe any dog or cat should be sold through pet stores

    • Jade says:

      08:56am | 19/12/11

      Mary I wouldn’t call you an ethical breeder then. If I was breeding dogs I would want to ensure I meet all the prospective owners and judge for myself if they will be able to adequately care for my puppy before they get one. Most people that buy from pet stores do it because the puppy looks cute, spur of the moment purchase with out any thought if the dog they are buying is right for them and if they can actually care for it.

    • gobsmack says:

      09:06am | 19/12/11

      @Jade
      The Victorian legislation has not outlawed puppy farms, it’s tightened up the regulation of those places.
      Not everyone wants to spend a four figure sum on a pedigree dog.  Especially when certain breeds are known to genetic defects.

    • xar says:

      09:12am | 19/12/11

      Mary J - registered with the relevant canine control council - or just registered as a breeding business with council? Because if it is the former you’d know very well the code of ethics demands you don’t sell to pet stores, and if it is the latter - you are not what people generally refer to when they say “registered breeder”. Either way - a breeder who I deem ethical doesn’t want their dogs to go to anyone with the cash who they will never see, they want them to go to homes they have personally selected and vetted in the best interests of the dogs they have brought into this world. They also want to know how that puppy grows, if any health conditions that arise so they can make changes to their breeding program if necessary. My dogs breeders are there for them FOR LIFE, if I should die they would go back to their breeders to either stay forever or be found a wonderful new home, our dogs breeders are happy for us to call them any time if we have a question about care or training, they’ve gone out of their way to make sure their dogs go to the best homes and to help those homes in every way they can because they care above and beyond what someone who sells to a petstore does. I’ve never seen that kind of ethical commitment from a petstore or a breeder who sells to one, never. Ethics is about more than just caring well for your animals, it is about best practise, and a long term dedication and commitment to the animals you breed and your breeding program.

    • Michele says:

      09:18am | 19/12/11

      Mary J…  if you sell your puppies through a pet shop… you are NOT an ethical breeder.  You will never see the purchaser of your pup.  An ethical breeder has ppl come to their home.  They get to see the parents of the pups…the breeder gets to see the buyer and get a ‘feel’ for them.  I know as I was once involved with breeders of Newfoundlands and German Shepherds.  They would NEVER in a million years had their puppies over to a store…. They plan when their bitches will be bred (maybe twice a year at the most) so why would they then throw these puppies away to a store where they have NO IDEA what will happen to them ????  OSCARS LAW will put a stop to that

    • Sharon says:

      09:41am | 19/12/11

      @Mary J.  Sorry, but the fact that you are making money from breeding animals you sell to pet shops who then sell to ill-informed, unprepared impulse buyers, while thousands of abandoned, neglected and abused animals are killed in shelters every year is shameful.

      “The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creatures that cannot.”  ~Mark Twain, What Is Man, 1906

    • Jade says:

      10:11am | 19/12/11

      @ Gobsmack, proper breeders are trying to breed out any genetic defects and all dames and sires that are bred from have had thorough health testing done to ensure they are not carriers of any defects, this is why you pay so much. So much planning and expense goes into making sure you have the correct dogs to make healthy puppies. That should be the purpose of breeding puppies… to improve the breed not make money.  If you are not willing to spend money on a health checked pure bred puppy go to a shelter or purchase a dog through a rescue organisation.

    • Em says:

      12:06pm | 19/12/11

      Mary J - as someone who’s had a lot to do with registered breeders (of many breeds) for the past 20 years, I know that you are either talking out of your backside or are simply in the breeding to make a quick buck. You are an absolute disgrace.

      No ethical registered breeder would permit their dogs to be sold via a pet shop. This is something that most Victorian kennel clubs state on their websites and as part of their breeder policies.  Ethical breeders screen their potentional buyers, some even going as far as to inspect where their dogs will be housed and cared for.  Contracts are written stating that pet dogs are to be fixed (of they are not already done at the point of sale), or if ownership of the dog needs to cease for any reason, the animal is returned to the breeder for rehoming. 

      People like you need to be put out of business. You make me ill. You are part of the reason why there are literally HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of otherwise innocent animals put to sleep every single year.

    • baal says:

      01:10pm | 19/12/11

      I kinda agree. In the country at least we either got our dogs from breeders. The type you go to thier house, play with the puppies. Met the Mum and sometimes the dad of the pups.
      Sometimes they would also rock up to our place, met our existing dogs etc. It was a friendly but deliberate process.
      Our cats we got from the shelters.
      The purchase of the animal is a big deal. It should be treated as a big deal. people put more thought into buying phones sometimes than buying a living animal.
      I currently do not have any pets living with me, it makes me sad but I can not make the purchase knowing I rent.

    • Jade says:

      02:13pm | 19/12/11

      Sorry Anthony, my cold heart doesn’t bleed for them… I prefer to help animals over humans, simply because animals need more help smile

    • leelee says:

      02:17pm | 19/12/11

      Reasons you shouldn’t buy puppies from a pet shop:

      1. High possibility pups are from farms/mills
      2. living in those cages/cases is damaging to puppies during the VERY important first months of their lives, the effects of which can be felt for years, perhaps forever if the new owners aren’t clued in to dog behaviours
      3. encourages impulse purchasing, which leads to abandoned pets
      4. no pet store screens potential owners for their suitability for the breed they are about to purchase.

      Mary, you are not an ethical breeder! If you were, you would care where your puppies ended up, and would want to be involved in screening potential owners to ensure they remained safe in their forever homes.

    • gobsmack says:

      03:15pm | 19/12/11

      I agree that the best option if for people to get dogs from a shelter.
      Regarding “ethical breeders”, a couple that is allowed to bring human babies into this world uninhibited by government regulation (indeed being paid $5000 to do so) might take offence at some snooty nosed dog breeder deciding that their home is not good enough to look after some shitzu pup.

    • Loula says:

      05:09pm | 19/12/11

      I’m with Jade. Humans represent everything that is wrong with the World so I only have space in my heart for animals. Take your link elsewhere (or how about you get up off your computer and help those asylum seekers which you care so dearly about yourself?)

    • acotrel says:

      04:34am | 20/12/11

      @Loula
      I think my dog would consume more food than the average asylum seeker !

    • Anthony says:

      06:13am | 20/12/11

      Oh well go where your heart is! Personally I find humans more rewarding and a little more interesting than something bread purely for my pleasure.

    • Yip says:

      08:38am | 20/12/11

      Aren’t most children ‘bred for pleasure’ in a sense though? I mean we don’t need any more of them… Most of them are just miniature accessories to mould in people’s own image it seems. Little stinkers….

    • Jade says:

      10:08am | 20/12/11

      Touché Yip! I don’t just mean dogs either Anthony. Any animal… a lizzard, bird, fish… doesn’t matter what it is (except spiders). They all need help :D The only humans I find interesting are old people and small children sometimes.

    • Anthony says:

      03:44pm | 20/12/11

      @Jade sure your best times are with animals, the elderly and small children. Sounds very well grounded and not freaky in the least

    • Yip says:

      09:47pm | 20/12/11

      @Anthony, your obsession with doing ‘rewarding’ and ‘interesting’ things with jumped-up, de-furred apes is more freakish to the rest of us, I’m sure. I’m glad you feel that you’re better than anyone who believes that animals need protection. I guess saving an overabundant, Earth-destroying, foolish species that is, in truth, no better or ‘more evolved’ than any other is the most important thing here is. Right. And animals lock themselves in cages and puppy farm breeders do it for love. pfffffffffffffft, is my snort of derision for you.

    • Thomas says:

      06:43am | 19/12/11

      Plenty of private sales, plenty of dogs to be saved. We bought our two pups from the trading post - a ‘mistake’ I suppose from two neighborhood dogs. Best two dogs on earth.

      This woman is an absolute legend.

      Reply

    • Gladys says:

      10:33am | 19/12/11

      Same. And they spent a lot of money making sure they did the right thing. And i paid them for the work they did.

    • Nathan Explosion says:

      07:09am | 19/12/11

      Let’s not forget kitten farms as well!

      The Save a Dog Foundation is also a great no kill shelter. They foster animals that have stayed at the shelter too long. I got one of my cats from there; and he had come from a home where as a kitten he was hit a lot, so much so he flinched when you tried to pat him. Four years on, he is the most loving, affectionate, loyal cat I’ve ever had.

      Reply

    • Jade says:

      07:15am | 19/12/11

      The only reason these puppy farms exist is because the demand is there… once people stop wanting these mutts aka “designer dogs” puppy farms will go out of business.  The government need to get strict on the issue, just the other day a puppy farmer was given a slap on the wrist by judges in Victoria, which is absolutely disgusting.

      Back yard breeders are just as bad, people who are to lazy to desex their animals or for some stupid reason believe that their dog “needs” to mate at least once before they are spayed/desexed contribute to the problem as well breeding dogs that have’t been health checked, temperament tested etc.

      Awareness also needs to get out there about these things, most people have no idea about back yard breeding and puppy farms and how bad both are. Both of my dogs are from back yard breeders and I didn’t know anything about it at the time either.

      Reply

    • Nick says:

      07:19am | 19/12/11

      I don’t understand why existing animal cruelty laws don’t cover the conditions this article describes?

      Reply

    • Paul Archer says:

      08:59am | 19/12/11

      Its because the pet industry members with vested interests generally have been able to dominate the Animal Welfare Advisory Committees in each State that provide “advice” to State Gov bodies in formulating animal welfare legislation and Codes of Practice.  If you want to know who these members are visit the website of the Australian Companion Animal Council ACAC - all spelled out there for you!

    • xar says:

      09:18am | 19/12/11

      they do, there is a process to work through with compliance orders and whatnot but yes, the current laws do cover how animals are to be kept and housed at a bare minimum, but covered in filth and not recieving vet care doesn’t comply with those minimums so they could be procecuted if they did not fix it….the trouble is these people get around the laws sometimes by moving dogs to a different location, and just setting up there - mostly they are in remote areas and the councils that register them never check for violations. There are too few resources when it comes to animal management - the sollution is not necesarily more laws, but better policing of them.

    • hmm says:

      07:26am | 19/12/11

      We got one dog from the local animal shelter and the other as a pup from a friend who’s dogs were breeding.  The best 2 dogs in the world and they get on so well.  I might just go and give them a big hug now.

      Reply

    • Rescuer says:

      07:52am | 19/12/11

      Your friend is a back yard breeder.

    • hmm says:

      08:31am | 19/12/11

      Rescuer, my friend had 2 lovely well cared for dogs that bred a litter of puppies and they were all given as gifts to people he knew would offer the best outcome for these puppies.  If he has a backyard, with lovely grass, and his dogs bred, then he must be a backyard breeder.  BTW the dogs were then desexed after the litter was born, so not everyone is a backyard breeder.

    • CBR says:

      09:16am | 19/12/11

      @hmm

      Regardless of how the pups turned out and were intentioned, your friend is still an irresponsible backyard breeder.

    • hmm says:

      10:30am | 19/12/11

      CBR how can he be a backyard breeder. He had 2 dogs, one a girl and one a boy.  Before he had a chance to desex the girl she fell pregnant.  Instead of giving the pups to the petshop he gave them away to good friends he knew who could provide loving homes.  As mentioned above, the female has now been desexed. That is not the definition of a backyard breeder.

    • Paul Archer says:

      10:59am | 19/12/11

      ....there will always be a “justifiable” argument that says:  “these dogs/cats went to good homes” or “my friend really does look after the few dogs she breeds”. or “it can’t be wrong for my kids to see the miracle of birth…...”, BUT when you multiply that by the thousands of people all across the country saying the same thing and justifying themselves, you can see why SO MANY un-necessary litters are bred every year….. and why so many end up in pounds and shelters. That is the sole point. Today, whilst 250,000 healthy animals are killed each year in pounds, there is only one justifiable place to acquire a pet - that is a shelter or a rescue group. Anywhere else just encourages even more breeding we don’t need.

    • Fion says:

      11:03am | 19/12/11

      hmm, I’m with you. That’s how we got our dogs. They get to see their siblings/parents on walks too. I’d far prefer that to puppy farms.

    • CBR says:

      11:22am | 19/12/11

      @hmm

      Your friend only had the bitch spayed? Why wasn’t the dog neutered?

      Irresponsible, irresponsible, irresponsible. That litter (and the ones that will result from the entire male running around!) was unnecessary and while I’m glad there was a happy ending for all involved, more often or not those puppies are dumped at shelters.

    • Anne71 says:

      12:24pm | 19/12/11

      @hmm “As mentioned above, the female has now been desexed” - How does that fix the problem? The male dog can still get out and find a bitch in heat, and there’s another litter of unwanted puppies right there.
      For God’s sake, tell your brainless, irresponsible friend to stop projecting and get his male dog desexed as well.  It’s a far less invasive - and cheaper! procedure than spaying, that’s for sure.

    • Taxpayer says:

      07:34am | 19/12/11

      Do you work for the ABC ion the spare time?

      Reply

    • Rescuer says:

      07:50am | 19/12/11

      Why promote the RSPCA? They have the highest kill rate for all shelters in Australia. Don’t go to the RSPCA. Support the grass roots rescue organisations that do the real work. The RSPCA is just a government backed media circus who do very, very little to help when it gets down to the nitty gritty of saving lives. They have millions in the bank and simply keep it stashed away when it could help so many.

      Reply

    • Melly says:

      11:01am | 19/12/11

      The RSPCA are left to ‘deal’ with the animals that most rescues refuse to help because they claim they are NO KILL. It is hardly NO KILL when they are passing the problem on to the RSPCA who have NO choice but to PTS! What a load of crap from you Rescuer!!

    • Jade says:

      11:08am | 19/12/11

      RSPCA receive no government funding or help…

    • VJmes says:

      11:36am | 19/12/11

      Your PETA buddies have the highest kill rate in the US and they do far less to help the animals they save. The RSPCA does fantastic work and I’ve personally been to their adoption centres before, they spent a lot of time with me to help choose the right pet for me.

      This isn’t taking away from the hardwork many of the other grass-root organisations do, but decrying the RSPCA as being a ‘government back media circus’ is pathetic and shameful.

      You should be disgusted.

    • Dianne says:

      12:24pm | 19/12/11

      Melly, I know in WA it is the rescues that take on the hard cases not the RSPCA. There was a case recently of a very neglected German Shephard and the RSPCA were informed of him and they refused to take him, so it was left up to the rescue group. I also am aware that they have around 60 dogs in their care yet have only 5 or 6 up for adoption on the petrescue site. I’m not saying that they don’t do good but I feel they could do a lot more.

    • marley says:

      12:26pm | 19/12/11

      @Rescuer - well, I got my dog from the RSPCA in Canberra - he’d been there for a couple of months, and there was at least one other dog that had been there for a year.  Yes, they put down some dogs - the ones that are unmanageable, or have serious medical issues.  But there were doing their damnedest to find homes for the rest.

      And, as others have pointed out, the “no kill” shelters are the ones that hand over dogs with problems to other shelters.

    • Melly says:

      02:25pm | 19/12/11

      @ Dianne. You can’t reply with your ‘own’ guesses. Do you know exactly why there are only those amount of dogs available? Have you questioned the RSPCA? Or have you offered to help? I don’t think blaming each other for ‘guessed’ situations is helping the animals. If a rescue was unable to assist that GS, where do you think it will end up? Who do you think will be left to PTS? A vet….at your cost? Or the council for FREE! The council take dogs to the RSPCA for euthanasia all of the time. Just because people don’t hear all of the stories does not mean they are not doing their job. People also need to know that the RSPCA no longer has a 28 day policy, in fact, they have no policy! The animal stays at the shelter until they find a home. It is in the Code of Ethics on the RSPCA website. Dianne, you should contact them yourself and ask why they didn’t help…there is no reason that they wouldn’t.

    • Rescuer says:

      03:15pm | 19/12/11

      Jade, if you think that the RSPCA receives no government funding then I suggest you go and talk to the NSW minister responsible for the RSPCA, Katrina Hodgkinson, who only yesterday handed over another large cheque to them, the amount being for $7.5 million. Maybe have a closer look before responding to something you clearly know nothing about next time. Each branch of the RSPCA has millions of dollars sitting unused in the bank and they refuse to use it to help where they could and should. They could become NO KILL virtually overnight nationwide if they spent the money donated to them. It’s time the truth about them was revealed.

    • amy says:

      03:36pm | 19/12/11

      or PETA…they are an extremist group, and if you read the fine print…fundamentally they DO NOT belive in the practice of keeping pets

      which means they dont help fluffy find a new home..they put fluffy down because fluffys existance is wrong

    • Jade says:

      03:46pm | 19/12/11

      @ Rescuer… I was a volunteer at one of the QLD shelters for a while. They have just finished construction of a new state of the art facility for which the only government assistance mentioned was the donation of the actual site and buildings. The rest was from money raised via donations and fund raising events. 

      I’m not savy with what goes on in other states. But if these are your claims some links to evidence would be handy, your word that it’s true doesn’t mean shit otherwise smile

    • Melly says:

      04:30pm | 19/12/11

      7.5 million was allocated to refurbishment of one RSPCA….Next question!?! You need to get the facts BEFORE assuming your own theory!

    • penny wants oscars law says:

      07:54am | 19/12/11

      These farms are a disgrace to Australia. They should be all banned. Adopt not Shop.. Come on Australia write to all your councils, write to your local pet shops. Join the rally’s. Stand up- be there voice, yell scream stomp - do what it takes to stop this , never give up.. make these farmers get a real job… WE WANT OSCARS LAW!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

    • Patrice Pandeleos says:

      07:55am | 19/12/11

      I would like to see puppy factories completely shut down, and pet stores banned from selling animals unless they are rescues. Too many animals get put down each year, and It’s not just dogs from puppy factories.
      I’ve been volunteering at a dog pound for two years, and State Laws for ‘dangerous dogs’ and ‘dangerous dog breeds’ also need to change. Rangers will often incorrectly label a Staffordshire Terrier or similar breed a Pitt Bull, and the dog has to be euthanatized immediately. Even if the dog is micro-chipped with their correct breed (e.g. Staffy), Rangers often over-ride that information, because they ‘think’ the dog is a pit bull. I’ve seen many dogs euthanized pointlessly because of these ridiculous laws that protect no-one.
      The laws should be harsher on irresponsible owners, not the animals who don’t know better. I’ve never met a dog that couldn’t be re-trained, but I’ve met plenty of people who you can’t reason with.
      With 250,000 healthy dogs put-down each year, it’s clear we’re failing to protect mans best friend.

      Reply

    • Eleanor says:

      08:02am | 19/12/11

      I hate this. If you want a dog that badly, either go down to your local shelter and adopt one, or approach a registered breeder and go on a waiting list for their next litter - of which there should ideally be one every 12 months.

      Reply

    • Leila Desborough says:

      08:12am | 19/12/11

      I have a dog that started in a Puppy Farm and was purchased from a Pet store by the previous owner who had dementia.The dog was purchased at five weeks old so has no idea his bites hurt (socialising with siblings stops this) and he also is impossible to housebreak for the same reason.I have worked hard on him and he has improved some but his start and inbreeding for cute will always be a problem

      Reply

    • Kate says:

      08:12am | 19/12/11

      Keep the pressure up on puppy farms. Imagine if dogs were very hard to get, if you had to go on waiting lists to own one? I am all for banning puppy farms and definitely do not want to see dogs or kittens sold in pet shops. With the number of dogs put down each month, it is insane to have these factories where the profit motive relies on such cruelty. Why are these places legal? Good on you Nicole as well as the other writers who keep this topic alive.
      Most of our dogs have been rescues. The last one is a beautiful pure bred labrador found at 7 yrs old abandoned, skinny, covererd in ticks and carrying a dead puppy. The vet said she had had many litters. Dumped out of a puppy farm? We will never know. She is crazy-loved now, walked daily if not twice daily and rarely alone. We don’t like to think of what she went through before joining our family.

      Reply

    • Nathan Explosion says:

      08:44am | 19/12/11

      In a way, dogs and cats *can* be hard to get, if you want a specific breed and are willing to pay and wait for it.

      A registered breeder will always make sure their pups and kittens go to a good home! We got to meet Mum Bengal, Dad Bengal and the litter before we got our bengal kitten. Crazy little shit, but we love her to bits (and she loves her big bro, the rescue cat).

    • Anne71 says:

      12:28pm | 19/12/11

      @Kate, I am so glad to think that poor abandoned dog found your family, and is being given all the love and care she missed out on before smile Thank you so much for taking her. I’d happily give a rescue shelter dog and cat a home, but being a renter, I’m not allowed to have pets :(

    • chuck says:

      08:36am | 19/12/11

      Yet another attempt to inflict a regulatory approach on the people of Oz.
      No demand = no puppy farm and yes adopt from a shelter!!!!!!!!

      Reply

    • Sharon says:

      08:38am | 19/12/11

      Oscar’s Law must eventually be legislated in all states. Animals should not be sold through profit-driven pet shops to unprepared impulse buyers who have no idea of the horrendous cruelty behind the cute animals in the shop window.  Thousands of unwanted animals are ruthlessly abandoned and killed every year - it is truly disgraceful.

      I’ve volunteered at a shelter and it is heartbreaking. Adopting an abandoned or abused animal is one of the most rewarding and beautiful things we can all do.

      Reply

    • DH says:

      08:40am | 19/12/11

      Great, great article.

      Have thought about this myself a lot since we bought our ‘designer dog’ from a pet shop a couple of years ago. To be honest, it never even occured to me that puppy farms would be legal here. As someone above mentioned, I figured that existing animal cruelty laws would apply. Obviously, and ridiculously, this isn’t the case.

      We wanted to go to a registered breeder for this particular breed (couldn’t get any other as my wife has bad allergies, but we both think it important for kids to grow up with pets to help them respect animals) but they all seemed to live out of state and we didn’t want to have to fly the puppy in, thinking THAT would be too cruel. So we went to what we considered a respectable pet store, affiliated with a local vet as well.

      Since then I’ve heard a lot about puppy stores and have always wondered. Hopefully they are one of the good ones. But I might look into it further.

      Anyway, as you implied, our girl is greatly loved, spoiled and generally has a wonderful time. So it kills me to think we might have contributed to her parents’ suffering through our own ignorance.

      Articles like this to help raise awareness, so are greatly needed.  I’ll definitely be checking out that Oscar’s Law site later and will be passing on the message too. Good work.

      Reply

    • Gladys says:

      10:29am | 19/12/11

      I dont think you should feel guilty about buying a dog that suits you. Particularly if your wife has allergies.

      I have a friend who is a registered breeder and she will be sending a dog from Brisbane to Perth in the new year. There are companies that do this professionally. My cats came up by air from Sydney and they were fine.

      But if you love that dog and care for it, then he got the good luck that Oscar got too.

    • Jade says:

      11:32am | 19/12/11

      @Gladys, “particularly if your wife has allergies.”

      That is another common misconception… you get an “oodle” dog because you want the poodle’s hypo-allergenic coat, but people don’t realise that when you breed two different breed’s together you can’t be sure which traits the puppies are going to have from which parents and you can end up with something completely different than you expected and we all know what happens to the dogs then.

    • Lisa J Ryan says:

      08:42am | 19/12/11

      The Oscar’s Law campaign is one of the most important campaigns ever established for companion animals. Not only does it educate and share awareness, it enables everyday people to become involved, to help change the current status and to make informed choices which are better for animals and better for them. As a dog owner and lover and a Dogs Victoria registered breeder and exhibitor and a rescue person, I support in full Oscar’s Law and I thank god for people like Debra who never give up or compromise truth and what is right. Please also be aware that all dogs suffer in puppy factories and cats as well including designers, x bred and purebred.

      Reply

    • Jen says:

      08:44am | 19/12/11

      My former boss brought a little white fluffy dog from a pet shop nearlly 5 years ago for her daughter , the first 6 months of the dogs life he was okay , but once he started to grow huge problems started to arise mainly deformities in his bones , so far she has spent in the last few years over 8 thousand dollars in surgeries to keep the poor little dog out of pain. The vets told her this is a common problem in dogs breed in puppy farms. There is no room for puppy farms in Australia , not only are the farms such cruel and   disgusting places , sitting in a pet shop glass cage breathing in fake air from   the fans is no life for a dog especially a dog in the growing stages of their life, pet shops should be just as ashamed of themselves as the puppy farmers / breedres who sell to these stores for promoting this cruelity . I want Oscars Law

      Reply

    • Nicole phillips says:

      08:46am | 19/12/11

      To all of those so called breeders that have commented on this page why don’t you sell your puppies with papers? Are you a member of Dogs Vic? I bet not as you are breeding designers mutts who are not a registered breed in this state or any other! Shame on you? I own a beautiful pure bred Rottweiler who is registered with dogs vic and the Rottweiler club of Victoria with whom l show, take to obedience twice a week and take her herding. So is my breeder. All of his puppies whether show or not go to homes where he screens the potential owner thoroughly, you can tell me a pet show does that!!! WE WANT OSCARS LAW

      Reply

    • Deb says:

      09:40am | 19/12/11

      Totally agree with you Nicole.

    • Eleanor says:

      10:48am | 19/12/11

      Agreed, Nicole. It’s also important to remember when breeding, everything you do should be for the improvement of the breed, not to make money. Done correctly, registered breeders will barely make a profit.

    • Tell It Like It Is says:

      08:50am | 19/12/11

      Thank you, @Nathan Explosion, Mike and Kate for making a reference to kittens/cats. It really is a ‘dogs’ world’!  Hard to understand why such primitive bias continues. My cat is the most affectionate, bright little thing with loads of very appealing cattitude and humour. She is the dog you’re having when you’re not having a dog!  However, I am disgusted by the contents of this article and I must say I get sick in the stomach every time I pass a pet shop with poor dogs, kittens etc locked together in small cages. Dogs AND cats - and probably other animals for all we know - deserve a lot more protection than they get at every stage of life - breeding and beyond - from 2 legged animals who very often function and behave at much lower level of intelligence and compassion than most 4 legged ones.

      Reply

    • Nathan Explosion says:

      10:41am | 19/12/11

      Mrs Explosion and I love our kids!

      Some people think it’s not very ‘manly’ to like cats, but I actually prefer them. Great company.

    • Yip says:

      10:42am | 19/12/11

      Yeah, seems to be a problem with many types of animals. I don’t think it’s right that rabbits, guinea pigs, budgies etc. should be sold at pet shops either. One thing I can’t stand is when some kid gets a cute little bunny for Xmas, Easter or whatever and then it ends up in some hovel of a cage at the bottom of the garden. And plenty of budgies at pet shops sure look like scabby, terrified half plucked sticks in the shape of a bird. Sucks.

    • Kika says:

      09:02am | 19/12/11

      Any laws designed to take down puppy farms I will support 100%.  I have a dog from a puppy farm. I didn’t buy him out of my free will. I wanted to adopt one from the RSPCA but my image concious narcisstic ex decided that paying $700.00 for a tiny shih tzu x poodle was worth it. Bought him from some dodgy puppy shop. He is a wonderful little boy. So clever and funny. He’s a real darling. But I can only imagine where he came from and how his parents were treated… he’s so lucky he got a good home.

      My sister is a vet and has seen numerous dogs being treated like a puppy mill - either commercially or just by idiotic backyard breeders who enjoy breeding their dogs. Halfwits come in breeding dangerous aggressive dogs with each other, just because… and idiots breeding small bitches with large males. When she tells these fools that she may die and/or have to undergo an emergency caeser to get the babies out they don’t care. They know more than the Vet. Then eventually the babies get stuck and the bitch dies the Vet is always to blame…

      Reply

    • Liz says:

      09:16am | 19/12/11

      Puppy farms should be banned!! Backyard breeders should not be allowed either! I have been burnt by both!!

      First dog i purchased, was from a backyard breeder, i got him (a pure Labrador) at 3 months old at 6 months old i had his hips tested….found he actually had no hip joints and would need a total hip replacement costing $10,000, something that the people who sold him to me were already aware of, a few things seemed weird but added up when i found that out, i had a smaller operation done on one hip that cost $2,000 which seemed would work for a little while but he got out of our house one day and never found him :( I swore off backyard breeders then, that was 10 years ago…

      I have bought 2 dogs from pet shops. One 8 years ago and another 3 nearly 4 years ago, i was only educated 2 nearly 3 years ago!! First dog from pet shop (a Labrador) is fine…..4 years old started having seizures, there is/was no cause for them, they can just develop at that age for no reason that’s ok it’s all under control with medication for the rest of his life other then that he is awesome, can’t say it was from breeding but also can’t rule it out! so then the 2nd dog which i bought a few years ago again everything was fine….did puppy school, correct socialisation everything we were meant to do and done with previous dogs and never had an issue, then she got to 2 years old and it is like something triggered in her head and now attacks our other dog which she has grown up around, will attack our other dog if she can’t get to the dog she wants to attack, can’t have her around other dogs that she has also grown up around and would play with multiple times a week growing up any more, she has broken her harness to attack another dog… She is a pug cross miniature schnauzer (typical puppy farm breed also called a Schnug)...it isn’t a case of little dog syndrome or anything either, i have sort help and it has been put down to an imbalance….. only reason we haven’t had to re home her is because she doesn’t cause any damage and doesn’t show aggression to our human family, and our two dogs do have good times majority of the time, they just need to be separated during certain times and can’t be walked side by side otherwise she will attack him even if she sees another dog.
      My story is not a uncommon story either MANY people who have purchased dogs from pet shops at first have no issues….it isn’t until later that the issues come out and alot of them can’t be worked/trained out! My issues in comparison to others are minor…

      I would never EVER buy another dog from a backyard breeder or a pet shop! I use my experiences to help educate the people around me, so they don’t make the same mistakes i have! I fully support Oscar’s law in every way i can! The government NEEDS to do something! It is an absolute disgrace this industry!!

      Reply

    • Kika says:

      01:33pm | 19/12/11

      Is your schnug desexed? Have you let her have one cycle at all?

    • lea says:

      02:23pm | 19/12/11

      Liz, dog socialisation is an ongoing process. You can’t expect to take your dog to puppy school, socialise it, then tick that off the list as done and don’t follow up.
      You should seek out a professional trainer now, to help your doggie overcome her issues.
      Training a dog is for life.

    • Tony Soprano says:

      09:17am | 19/12/11

      It doesn’t help that the likes of Dr Chris Brown and Dr Harry endorse Pets Paradise on their shows. The best way to buy a purebreed dog is to do your homework: talk to vets, knowledgeable friends, dog trainers and learn about the history of the breeder. There are two concerns with pet shops - the first is the absence of known history, the second is that they are kept in a glass “cage” to be sold to impulse buyers. My first family dog a Kelpie x German Sheperd was rescued from the side of the road at Stanmore in Sydney at eight weeks old - not microchipped and no ID - and grew to be a wonderful dog. There’s a lot of rescue organisations out there looking for responsible owners.

      Reply

    • Shenanigans says:

      09:23am | 19/12/11

      I got my German sheperd for a registered breeder, he sold exclusively to military and police with a few private sales to people when the military and such got how ever many they wanted, He also keeps one or two to show them, and they really are magnificent dogs. before i bought Panzer, I was screened, had my house checked, and had to confirm i was capable of supporting my dog by showing a record of income for a period longer then 6 months. and after i passed all that, I’ve never had a better mate. he’s extremely well trained, wont touch anyone but me without permission unless he catches you sneaking around my backyard late at night. He’s jet black biggest dog ever and pure bred, quiet the imposing dog.

      What gets me is the people who buy dogs from backyard breeders who claim their dog is purebred, when it clearly isnt. the difference between my shepherd and others from backyard breeders and puppy farms is immense, and they paid more then i did in most cases. Not only do backyardies and puppy farms breed impure dogs, they more often then not set up that dog for a very uncomfortable life when it becomes plagued with health problems early on, it’s just wrong.

      it disgusts me that puppy farms even exist, I want Oscars law!

      Reply

    • xar says:

      09:27am | 19/12/11

      people also need to know that “teacup” is just a way of saying “runt” in some breeds, and that sometimes breeding too small leads to intestinal problems, but also, they are much more likely to find that a purebred chi is actually smaller than the dogs being advertised as “teacup chi” - puppy farmers love false claims that sucker a stupid consumer into thinking they are getting something special. I’ve seen so many “teacup chi”‘s come through rescue that are twice the size of a pedigree purebred chi!
      I have personally rehabilitated ex-puppy farm dogs, it is increadible how they still trust humans after what some of them go through but it is a joy to watch them come out of their shells. If you want an animal but can’t commit long term why not foster for a rescue group? It is increadibly rewarding!

      Reply

    • Nathan Explosion says:

      10:38am | 19/12/11

      My bengal had a tail fault and was the runt - so she was desexed before we got her and we were told she was ‘pet quality only’. Since we had no plans to breed or show, we didn’t care. She’s a great little girl, and her personality is bigger than she is.

      Save a Dog foundation does fostering, and I highly reccommend them (we have a rescue cat from there as well).

    • CBR says:

      12:57pm | 19/12/11

      @Nathan

      Ditto with my Tonkinese - kink in her tail and even as an adult, now seven years old, she still only weighs 2.5kg. She’s tiny! Like yours, she was purchased with papers and with a desexing contract (which we had done the day we got her, at 13 weeks old).

      Kittens in a pet store may be cute but at least when you go to a reputable breeder, like you and I did, you can meet the parents, have a full knowledge of genetic and medical history, and know that they’ve been properly socialised to at least 3 months.

      Not a decision I will ever regret, that’s for sure! (And as for those who say the costs of registered purebreds from breeders are prohibitive - nonsense. Nikita was $700 with papers. 8 week old Tonkinese from a pet store run at $1100 if not more, depending on coat colour).

    • Kika says:

      01:35pm | 19/12/11

      I would never buy a cat. There are thousands needing homes at shelters. All the cats I’ve ever had in my life were rescues. My little one now was rescued. Luckily she had lungs on her and was rescued by one of the nurses at my sisters vet clinic on the way to work one day. She was sitting in the gutter and managed to scream loud enough for a vet nurse to hear her! Lucky little girl… No owners ever came forward.

    • Nathan Explosion says:

      01:56pm | 19/12/11

      @CBR

      Phoenix was about $650, as she was small and had the tail fault (it goes back and curls like a pug’s tail - it adds to her personality I think).

      She’s about 3 and a half, and weighs about 5kg, but that’s pretty light for a bengal!

    • Jade says:

      03:48pm | 19/12/11

      I am trying to talk my other half into a rescue kitten now… he isn’t as excited about the idea as I am though :(

    • Klaudija says:

      09:55am | 19/12/11

      Why would you pay $1000 + for a dog from a puppy mill/pet shop? Or even from a classified??
      These pups are not registered, wormed, desexed, microchipped ect….
      If you have that much money to spend buy from a breeder who is reputable. Make sure you can view parents , make sure your pup has had all work done..
      If you buy from a pet shop or classified and pup has no papers you are unwillingly helping support puppy mills..
      Your puppy may look cute but may also have a mass of diseases , temperament issues and god knows what else.
      Yes they look cute in pet shop windows, but how about the ones in the pound who’s time is coming up because the pound has no room. They’re just as cute. And they have had all their vet work done and are temperament tested, desexed, microchipped.. 
      If you love animals why would you support a puppy mill this is intentional cruelty… This inhumane treatment needs to be stopped.

      Reply

    • LaDiva says:

      10:04am | 19/12/11

      Unfortunately some registered breeders and breed clubs are too precious as to whom they will sell their pups to. Years ago I wanted to purchase a purebreed staffy from a breeder registered with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Society of NSW. It was impossible. The breeders didn’t advertise, I had to ring the number of the society president to enquire if there were any breeders with pups for sale. Whenever I rang this women over a period of sixth months I was told very rudely that were no pups available before being hung up on. I then found out from another member of the society that their policy was to only sell pups to other society members. Of course you could only become a member if you owned a registered staffy! In the end I gave up ringing this rude cow and instead rescued a gorgeous staffy X from the RSPCA. I can’t help but think that the Staffy Society’s uber-precious attitude actually promotes backyard breeding practices as people who wish to purchase a staffy have no choice but to buy from backyard breeders or pet stores.

      Reply

    • amy says:

      10:08am | 19/12/11

      I like my dogs to have an actual snout..and pointy ears..I couldnt care less if they are “pure” bred or not

      pure breeding causes alot of problems anyway

      Reply

    • Eleanor says:

      10:54am | 19/12/11

      So does irresponsible breeding, Amy.

      Animal husbandry 101 for you. When creating a hybrid breed, such as crossing a labrador with a poodle, it’s a gamble. You may end up with the best traits of both breeds in the litter, or the worst of both breeds.

      This is where it’s important to know about pedigree. When you finally come across a Labradoodle or whatever you’re crossing that has good conformation and health, you use that as the baseline for your breed. If every time you’re crossing a labrador and poodle, rather than two healthy labradoodles, you run the risk of throwing unhealthy pups with congenital defects.

      This is why responsible and knowledgeable breeding is important. It doesn’t matter so much about “pure” breeding as much as just being discerning with the dogs you choose to breed from.

    • fairsfair says:

      10:51am | 19/12/11

      This issue is rarely discussed in society - but it has been going on for so long and people only look at the product, never think of the process.

      Well written, well communicated and a well fought fight. Continue the good work - I am glad people like you and Deb exist in this works - because I could not face little Oscar, it is far too upsetting.

      Until such time as we have national laws, I will continue to not even by producs from my refuge cat from any Pet Shop that supports the sale of pups without papers.

      Reply

    • fairsfair says:

      11:19am | 19/12/11

      damn you autocorrect.

      *in this world
      *for my refuge cat.

      even less coherent than usual…

    • vicki says:

      10:51am | 19/12/11

      “Don’t breed or buy whilst our shelter dogs die”. The majority of pound animals I have rescued have been well adjusted, emotionally well equipt animals. Some have been puppies, some young adults, some adults. Please do not contribute to the high euthanasia rate in Australia by buying from a puppy farm/pet shop /backyard breeder.

      Reply

    • Bonnie says:

      10:54am | 19/12/11

      This needs to be STOPED I have cats now but I did have some small dogs to they was and are about of my Family I take them to the Vets clean them and Love them.These PUPPY FARMs needs to be Shoot down the dogs are to be loved and cared for not This..It made be cay to read about this..The ones who run these puppy farms will be dealed with my God..If I new where one was I guess I would go to jail because I would hurt the people who runs them…..I hate people who hurts any animal DOWN WITH THE PUPPY FARM

      Reply

    • Katie says:

      10:55am | 19/12/11

      While puppy farms should be banned, fined and end with jail-terms, I wouldn’t be so harsh on backyard breeders… as a blanket term. What exactly constitutes a backyard breeder? Do we lump people who over-breed privately with the people whose dogs just happen to have a litter of puppies? That would be grossly unfair.

      My sister purchased a puppy from a ‘backyard breeder’... as in, a woman whose dog fell pregnant as a once off. This woman was amazing to deal with, she had all the vet checks and papers and let us visit the puppies before purchase so we could see their living conditions. She also showed us both parents, who were healthy and very happy and stayed with their pups until they were of a suitable adoption age.

      Should she be punished for giving her puppies to a loving home? I should hope not!

      As for the RSPCA, although they have a high kill rate, I still adopted my cat from them. Why? So he wouldn’t end up as part of the kill rate. He’ s two and a half now, very healthy and the biggest sop of a cat I’ve ever encountered. Definitely worth adopting!

      Reply

    • CBR says:

      11:10am | 19/12/11

      Why was her dog not spayed? That would be the first question I would ask.

    • Jade says:

      11:38am | 19/12/11

      Exactly CBR. If she had of been RESPONSIBLE and gotten her dog desexed she would not of accidental had a litter of puppies.

      What IS a BYB?
      BYB is an abbreviation, meaning - Backyard Breeder, which is a term used to describe irresponsible breeding of animals. Often this is due to ignorance or neglect where an amimal in care becomes pregant because the owner has failed to have them desexed. In other cases animals are deliberatly bred so the animals can be sold to pet shops or new owners.

      Backyard breeding contributes to the overpopulation of animals in the community. Uncontrolled breeding and overpopluation ultimately leads to the euthanasia of fit and healthy unwanted animals every year.

    • Skye says:

      12:46pm | 19/12/11

      “just happen to have a litter of puppies”.... These things don’t “just happen” people need to be a lot more responsible, we all know where babies come from!!

    • Em says:

      01:09pm | 19/12/11

      Katie - Whilst I understand the sentiment and have been the recipient of several BYB dogs and cats in my lifetime - all of which who have enjoyed long, happy lives with me -  there is absolutely no excuse for people not to have their pets spayed and neutered. My cats reside indoors only but I had them fixed anyway.  Same with my dog - she doesn’t go off lead and there is no way for an entire male to get to her in the backyard but I still had her fixed.  That’s responsible pet ownership. BYBs contribute to the problem, even the well-meaning or “occasional accident” ones.

    • Louise O'Rourke says:

      11:04am | 19/12/11

      Reputable breeders ensure that their dogs are screened for genetic problems. Puppy farmers and backyard breeders do not.
      Puppies born in these hell-holes are also often impossible to house train because of the confinement they have suffered. Many have behavioural issues due to lack of socialization in their early weeks of life.
      The impulse buyer only sees a cute little pup. There needs to be a process whereby anyone considering buying any pet has to be screened as to their suitability to own a pet.
      Can they afford finacially to feed, desex and provide ongoing vet care ? Do they have the time to train and exercise the pet ? Are they willing to do this for the next 10-20 years ?
      I see so many pets for sale on Gumtree ! Often the reason being “we are having a baby”. I only hope these people have a little more compassion for their children.

      WE NEED OSCARS LAW !!!  NATIONWIDE & NOW !!!!!

      Reply

    • Jade says:

      11:35am | 19/12/11

      I think a screening process would also help to contribute to lower bite rates as well if people were also made to properly train and socialise their puppy.  Then we wouldn’t need pointless breed specific legislation that does nothing to reduce bite rates.

    • Kika says:

      01:21pm | 19/12/11

      Haha my oldest dog penny was one of those ‘we’re having a baby - need to get rid of the dog’ sort of things. We received her at 12 weeks and she was a tiny little mini foxie. No bigger than a rat. Because the girl was pregnant apparently she couldn’t train her puppy and kept her in a box. If she pooed in her box she would be in trouble, but given that she wasn’t allowed out of the box where else could she go?

      They never trained her. She was very nippy, but that’s common for those sorts of dogs. Not aggressively, but in play.  Though not toilet training her for the first 12 weeks of her life was detrimental as she still has toilet training issues now at 12!

    • wewantoscarslaw says:

      11:08am | 19/12/11

      a shout out for Pets Haven in Woodend, Vic - first option is adoption!
      find your companion at a shelter, they are usually already toilet trained and socialised and don’t forget that older pets need rehoming too.
      be a responsible pet owner, get your pets desexed.
      with so many unwanted and abandoned pets, there is no need to buy from pet shops, so stop buying and they will stop selling.

      Reply

    • IRENE says:

      11:46am | 19/12/11

      Neither cats or dogs should be sold in PET SHOPS .

      Reply

    • John Smythe says:

      11:57am | 19/12/11

      Nor lorikeets, galahs, cockatoos, blue tongues, crocodile, mamoset (sp?) monkeys, etc.  etc. etc…....

      This movement has my support!

      /cheer

    • Anne71 says:

      12:45pm | 19/12/11

      @John Smythe - NO living creature - dog, cat, bird, rodent, fish or reptile - should be sold in pet shops. It’s far too easy for people to “impulse buy” and take home a pet that caught their eye while they were on their way to Coles or Woolies, without stopping to think about (a) how much it will cost to keep that pet and (b) how much work might be involved in looking after it.

    • John Smythe says:

      05:42pm | 20/12/11

      Anne71 couldn’t agree more. All of the above, and more, I have seen in pet shops. Well, they were alligators not crocodiles.

    • Aussie Born and Bred says:

      12:19pm | 19/12/11

      Our Cattle X is a shelter dog.  She’s also deaf as a post, which may be why she was dumped.

      It’s just a shame her previous owner didn’t bother to take her to obedience classes, like I did.  She progressed through to Class 3 quicker than all of the hearing dogs, on hand signals alone!

      I have only ever bought shelter dogs and, when the time comes and the tears dry, will definitely do so again.

      Reply

    • the cynic says:

      12:20pm | 19/12/11

      Best dog I ever got was from the lost dogs home when she was some 5years old. We bonded instantly as I walked past the cage and she never left my side until the day she died at age 21. Totally agree outlaw this cruel and inhumane puppy farm culture for good.

      Reply

    • Ken says:

      12:20pm | 19/12/11

      There are more than enough cats and dogs.  Breeding any more should be against the law, and those guilty of breaking the law should be hit with HEAVY fines.  This would help to reduce the thousounds of animls that are put down every year by City Councils throughout Australia

      Reply

    • kitteh says:

      12:24pm | 19/12/11

      Best article I have seen on the Punch in a long time. Congrats.

      (Although I would like to add my voice to others pointing out that pet shops selling kittens are just as, or even more, monstrous. There are more homeless and abandoned cats put down each year than dogs.)

      Reply

    • Myszka says:

      02:21pm | 19/12/11

      Can’t agree more. The focus is on dogs when the cats are forgotten. But at least it’s a start.

    • Arthur says:

      12:56pm | 19/12/11

      Sure this is horrendous and concerning. But really, have a look around and recognise the horrific impact we are having on native animals in Australia. We continue to populate Australia which will continue to kill off more species than any other planet. Perspective and priorities in this country are sickeningly skewed.

      Reply

    • holden says:

      12:59pm | 19/12/11

      Ah, the wonder of it. Twelve comments about the horrors, and death, that children face on the open sea in rickety wrecks which should never venture out of harbour, and about a hundred bemoaning the fate of cats and dogs.
      The animal problem of pet stores contributing largely to the problem could be solved by purchasers simply saying, “No!”, and purchasing elsewhere.            The solving of the child death problem is not so easy, but we can’t in all conscience sake blame the kids. We must,as a Nation, try.
      Political pointscoring, with the kids as ammunition is not doing any good. Locking the children in containment areas is no different than the backyard breeders containing the animals for their own convenient purpose.
      This is my proposal, much simplified, but basically descriptive.
      The refugees pay Australia the thousands of dollars they are reportedly paying smugglers. They must not have discarded their papers, otherwise they are not considered. We give them safe boat passage, during which time the ‘sorting” process begins. If any are found unqualified they are returned to the point of original pick-up.
      There would be a camp built at an appropriate place, perhaps on the W.A. north coast, and sufficient staff employed for the rapid treating of each case. The cost of staff would be minimal compared to the present billions wasted in ineffective programs.
      Yes, I know that I’ve wandered off-thread, but I’m only trying to suggest a way to improve the lot of other human beings. That is why we are in Afghanistan, isn’t it?
      If humanitarianism justifies the enormous sacrifice there, doesn’t the same justify better treatment of our refugees and the obvious costs inherent?
      I love my dog very much. If it became my dog or a child from anywhere who had to die, there could be no hesitation.
      And I do love my dog.

      Reply

    • Kika says:

      01:41pm | 19/12/11

      I’d choose my dog. 7 billion humans… bleh. They can sort their own problems out.

    • Yip says:

      01:53pm | 19/12/11

      Yes, you are off thread. Go and comment on that other article if you feel so strongly that no one is paying it attention. Complaining about people’s interest in this article is just stupid.

    • Yip says:

      02:07pm | 19/12/11

      @Kika, me too. I love my dog, and while I am sympathetic to some humans, I don’t love them. Not to mention animals can’t help themselves, where as people can.

    • Myszka says:

      02:18pm | 19/12/11

      I would choose my dog, but Holden, that is not the topic of the article.

    • leelee says:

      02:27pm | 19/12/11

      So what is your point exactly, holden. That you are so noble you would sacrifice your dog for a child you didn’t even know.
      I’d say that makes you a pretty sad human being if you ask me.

      Also, your type of argument annoys me to no end- are you advocating ignoring the plight of these animals because there are bigger problems? There are ALWAYS “bigger” problems. But that doesn’t make it right to ignore the “smaller” ones.

      (ps I’m with the others, I’d choose my dog over a person I didn’t know every time, no hesitation).

    • Jade says:

      02:31pm | 19/12/11

      I’d choose both of my dogs. As Yip said animals can’t help themselves.

    • CBR says:

      01:07pm | 19/12/11

      What I don’t understand is why desexing isn’t an automatic thing, regardless of where you acquire your pet. Buy a dog, get it neutered. Buy a queen, get it spayed. It’s not difficult, and an investment that has multiple benefits (not having to worry about finding homes for litters; avoiding serious and common uterine and testicular cancers; not having irritating females in heat yowling every month; massive behavioural benefits, especially for males).

      I don’t think breeding animals should be illegal, because there are legitimate reasons why it is done (especially with working animals and by registered breeders), but perhaps mandatory desexing in lieu of a massive fine would be legislation to think about.

      And re: rescues and the RSPCA, at least the latter desexes its animals as a matter of course. There are ‘rescue’ organisations that advertise in the local rags that do not desex. Blacktown Advocate, I’m looking at you.

      Reply

    • Mary Bear says:

      01:19pm | 19/12/11

      Puppy farms have continued to ply their disgusting trade for years, secure in the knowledge that glitzy town pet shops are there to take as many puppies as they can, without the public seeing what goes on at the farms.  Ban pet shops and backyard breeders until all unwanted animals in shelters have found a good home.  Then just allow registered breeders to sell their animals when, and only when they are old enough to be neutered/spayed so no more animals suffer in this way.  Support Voiceless to end all these dreadful animal abuses.

      Reply

    • holden says:

      03:09pm | 19/12/11

      Don’t you just love people who, confronted with a child, (one they didn’t know of course), and their dog, and given a gun and a choice, they would shoot the child. No wonder we are in such a mess.
      Incidentally, until I am made aware that you lot of wierdos have some legal authority over me I will do as I damn well please. I will join whatever thread I like whenever I choose, and you won’t, (can’t), do anything about it.
      That’s what a moderator is for. If he/she decides to block me, that’s okay. But I don’t follow your rules because you don’t make them for me.
      Go back to criticising posters who can’t spell, (with all of your grammatical errors on show), and forget trying to be that which you are not, Superior!
      There are too many people in the world now who have no regard for human life, and usually the lives of children. That’s because they can’t fight back, isn’t it.

      Reply

    • amy says:

      03:34pm | 19/12/11

      what in the living hell are you talking about?

      ‘Don’t you just love people who, confronted with a child, (one they didn’t know of course), and their dog, and given a gun and a choice, they would shoot the child.

      I didnt know there was a specific study on that….care to name scources?

    • Yip says:

      03:49pm | 19/12/11

      Yeah, I love them. Did you decide to write your comment just to annoy everyone else who’s trying to have a topical conversation? I wouldn’t go and write a comment about animal welfare on “A Year After Christmas Island”. And it’s *weirdos*. Sucked in!

    • Yip says:

      04:00pm | 19/12/11

      Hahaha, sorry, I just read that again. If I was confronted with a gun, a child, my dog and a choice, why the hell would I shoot any of them? People who like animals aren’t raging mad child-killers. Not to mention the fact I seriously, seriously doubt that anyone has ever said
      “You only have one choice, either you shoot your dog, or the random kid you don’t know gets it”. Right.

    • Kipling says:

      06:48am | 20/12/11

      Ahh holden, I know how it is mate when the reply button just doesn’t work…

      Just reading over your input here I can’t help but think that Ford would be a more accurate monka for you, of course that is just personal taste I kinda like holdens.

      I generally have little or no regard for human failure, hell, maybe that means life too - meh. We are after all, according to our own promotional material the superior species, therefore, we need to work our own shit out. I work with “helpless” or should I say hopeless people every day and for the main part, they really need a kick up the arse and a clear direction to own their own shit, of course the bleeding hearts want to just “help” them….

      As to choosing my pets over a stranger, how is that a problem, most people it seems would choose their friggen mobile phone over either a pet or a person.

      By all means, go for it with your inane rants, your excellent spelling and gramma and your total off topic comments. It serves to underline the irrelevance of your comment/opinion.

    • A says:

      03:22pm | 19/12/11

      When I was in New York City, I came across a pet store that only sold rescue animals. I thought that was such a nice change and brought to light for people visiting the pet store the fact that dogs and cats are a 15-20 year commitment.

      I happily support organisations like Animal Welfare League of Queensland (AWLQ) and Animal Rescue Queensland (ARQ). They’re run by volunteers who all give so much of their own time and heart! I will always make sure that I buy rescue animals and not buy animals from a breeder/puppy factory ... and I much prefer a mutt to a pedigree anyday! They’re always such funny little souls with hearts of gold and they’re much easier to look after (vet wise).

      Reply

    • lola's mum says:

      03:30pm | 19/12/11

      my hubby,daughter , myself the cat and dog moved from nz to au 6 years ago.
      our family has increased by three first a rescued ragged,matted tiny aprox 5 mnth old starving pregnant cat , 1200 dollars and a rush to the emergency vets she became ours..  we found loving homes for her kittens and kept one they were all desexed and mircochipped before the new families collected them at 12 weeks , we advised the chosen families that for anyreason at all they no longer wanted them they would be returned to us… later we discovered that she had belonged to a guy down the road that liked fluffy cats..total IDIOT!! ..then last year we thought we were doing good the pet store we selected to purchase our newest family member was from a marketing point (when i think about it now) VET approved/checked /breeders ...we even thought it was great because the renowned vet also was highly regarded by the puppy school we had signed up with….Well we got our little girl took home . She was so frightend of many things from the garage door, to the lawn mower to loud noises, she would scream,shiver and wet herself…So off to this vet clinic that “approved/checked” only to discover from the vets own mouth A : yes the dog recieved its health check from them B: that they believed the puppies were most likely puppy farmed or back yard breeders as only the puppies were bought into the clinic and they cant turn them away as they would just go to another vet??.....That sparked emails, phone calls and visits to the pet shop a few times, the puppy preschool and back to the Vet and anyone else who would listen ..you see even though we kicked ourselves and had waves of guilt that we had contributed to a puppy mill we felt we had been mislead by the pet store and vet…the puppy pre school also questioned the vet..a few weeks later the local rag had covered puppy mills and low and behold the petstore was named.. the vet pulled association with that pet store and the pet store went into overdrive about education of puppy farms and distancing themselves from it ..We SUPPORT City farmers market in underwood pet stores because they dont sell dogs,cats,lizards only fish they have puppy mill education materials clearly viewable and updated… and staff who tell you like it is about the industry they dont hold back , they also support the local shelters which we feel is in need of extra attention not just the rspca. we have learned a lot from our experience and WE WANT OSCARS LAW FOR brisbane!!!!!
      ps: our little girl is now one a whole lot of work and education has gone into her and she is confident,outgoing ,protected and loved member of our family !!!!
      pps: we had wanted a mixed small breed that had hypoallergenic qualities

      Reply

    • k8 says:

      04:05pm | 19/12/11

      We have only ever had rescued dogs and cats. Or found dogs and cats and even purchased a dog and a cat from the RSPCA. We are not ‘into’ breeds as such - we want to give the animal who has found itself in a predicament a loving home. Our last dog was a GSD/Kelpie (well that’s what we could see anyway) and we had her for 14 amazing years - thanks to the RSPCA in Burwood. Loved her so. We bought a silver tabby male kitten from there 4 years ago. What I love about shelters such as the RSPCA is that the animal HAS TO BE DESEXED. No question.

      On Gumtree site here in Melbourne, we found our next dog. He was 9 months old at the time, not desexed but loved by the family giving him up. He is a Samoyed/Retriever and they paid very good money for him. They gave me all of his ‘paperwork’ as he was bought from a ‘breeder’. The breed is known as Samriever. Bulls**t. As far as we are concerned, he is a Samoyed/Retriever and he is not a ‘breed’. Turns out I did a bit of research regarding the ‘breeder’ he came from and they were under investigation by the RSPCA. I firmly believe that he is a puppy farm dog but a very lucky one. I hate to think how his parents were though. We seriously could not be happier with our most beautiful boy - bred I believe for looks more than anything. Although temperament may have been a consideration. The family that searched high and low for new owners for him are still in contact with us and they get regular updates on his happiness. For them, they had a housing change that could not accommodate him and they interviewed quite a few people as prospective new families before we were chosen. I am thankful that our dog has a great life but when I think of his parents I feel very sad. Oh and yes, we got him desexed two days after we bought him home. Oscars Law!!! We want it!

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      04:41pm | 19/12/11

      Nice cause, but why should anyone here ask for money.
      I mean, everything costs money ; time included, so if you ask for money then you want an excuse to keep going.
      You do the cause and the grand act and be spend you own resources.

      Reply

    • Utopia Boy says:

      04:45pm | 19/12/11

      A “good chance” the dog I may buy a dog from a puppy farm?
      Where’s the evidence of this?
      What’s the statistics?
      Sounds like tripe to me.

      Reply

    • Janelle says:

      07:45pm | 19/12/11

      This year we got our first dog. After a long wait, with almost daily monitoring of petrescue we ended up adopting a 10 week old puppy from Animal Rescue Queensland (ARQ) - via the petrescue.com.au website. He is an amazing little crossbreed from Nth QLD, born and abandoned during the floods. Previously we went to the RSPCA shelter a few times to look and were honestly a little wary of visiting a ARQ carer in their private home (seemed awkward) to look at our future-dog, but we had a very positive experience. We found a wonderful environment for a young dog. The carer had older, trained dogs that our pup could learn from, and they also had a young child. And we now have a young adult dog that is great with other dogs and little kids. He came to us desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, heartwormed etc. We haven’t looked back. We have no idea what his breed is but he is well and truly one of the family. My point of all this is to reiterate what others have said - there are so many great organizations where you can find yourself a furry friend, you can search online easily, you can go visit them easily to see if you hit it off, but then things get a little harder (and thankfully so). You have to prove you can provide a suitable home for the pet (including a possible home visit by the organisation). Having been through it, I now think this level of required investigation is neccessary. Then if you take somebody home it is at a generally more affordable cost than a pet store (especially if it is a smaller breed) and you also know that your money is basically going towards helping more animals, whether it’s paying shelter employees, buying dog food for use by the foster carers, paying the vets who do the desexing at a discounted rate for the organization.
      Also as a last comment, I agree that some pet stores do source their animals from rescue organizations, and the few that I have seen will proudly promote this affiliation. So I don’t think all pet stores are necessarily evil and are all selling puppy farm animals. But I do think that given the level of commitment involved in responsible pet ownership, perhaps selling animals alongside products in pet stores should be phased out. At least for the dogs/cats/pocket pets anyway.

      Reply

    • AnimalLover101 says:

      07:48pm | 19/12/11

      Would chose my two beautiful dogs over strangers anytime whether they be children, adults or seniors.  I have a bond with my dogs which I obviously wouldn’t have with strangers although I may sympathise with their plight.

      Both of them bought from two different shelters.  As cute as pet store pups may be, I prefer rescuing mine from the pound. 

      As for cats, all of the cats my family have had have been runaways or lost.  All of them beloved family members. 

      Humans can help themselves, animals do not have that power.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:19pm | 19/12/11

      That reminds me ... in The Sunday Mail there is a segment called is ‘Pet Rescue’.
      There’s photos of pups and older dogs that need a home.
      Wish I was on 10 acres ; I’d take the lot.

      Reply

    • Looking for Dachshund Puppy says:

      09:35pm | 19/12/11

      I so wish this industry could be controlled.  I can certainly understand how tempting it can be to buy from a pet shop after deciding to get a pup.  Buying from a shelter does not suit everybody..
      Buying a dog from a Breeder can be so difficult.  Unless you are very lucky, it can take dozens of phone calls over many weeks to locate a Breeder who has pups or may have a litter in the near future.  You can wait months to find the litter does not include the sex required.  Often it entails long distance trips to visit the kennels or the additional costs of air flights from interstate after buying without seeing the pup. 
      Puppy farms are hideous and so I could never buy a pup from a pet shop but really wish it was easier not to.

      Reply

    • Nom says:

      01:59pm | 20/12/11

      Glad that people are finally waking up to this smile I’ve always hated seeing puppies and kittens in shopping malls. So many families just dump them at the pound when they move or decide it’s too much responsibility.

      Animals are not toys!

      Reply

    • Honesty says:

      06:46pm | 20/12/11

      ANY animal breeder is out to make money, some are worse and get called puppy farms, others are kinder and take care to cover up their real agenda with friendly homes and clean baskets to sell the pups, a quick excuse and a lethal injection or kindly ad looking for a new home for “much loved” but worn out dogs, either way, they are breeding to make money. The fact that people are willing to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to get a popular breed of puppy will always see people breeding to make money.

      Reply

    • Sharyn says:

      06:51pm | 20/12/11

      Buying a dog from a pet store or online makes absolutely no difference to puppy farmers. Any person who lets their animal reproduce with the intention of selling the offspring is a puppy farmer. A “breeder” is a hoity toity word for a puppy farmer. Some are cruellr than others. Choosing a pup from a cute basket with the mother there does not mean the mother has not been mated repeatedly and litter after litter sold. All it means is that the owner is smart enough to wash then and feed them.

      Reply

    • amba says:

      11:24am | 30/12/11

      I have a 2year old daughter and would love to get a snall breed dog to grow up with her and be her best furry friend like i had growing up with my old dog who lived a good 19 years.

      Ive read a lot of things about puppy farms lately after looking in a local petshop and thinking about the idea of getting a dog more. After that I came home and checked all the local shelters and rspca websites. There was nothing that was suitable for us but ill keep looking because i dont want to have anything to do with puppy farms. Even if it is the same price or more to adopt a rescue.

      Reply
 
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