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RNZ News
25-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Western Australia introduces anti-puppy farming laws
Photo: Joe Caione via Unsplash The era of buying a dog from a pet shop may be over in WA, thanks to new anti-puppy farming laws that come into effect on Monday. Pet shops that want to keep selling dogs can only do so if they get them from a rescue centre, having got a permit from their local government. But no pet shop in WA has applied. There are only three stores that sell puppies in the state, and it's understood at least two have announced store closures. Animal welfare groups have welcomed the reforms, saying more buyers are already deciding to adopt a rescue pet instead of shopping elsewhere. Dogs' Refuge Home general manager Robyn Slater said all 70-plus puppies the centre currently has in its care have come from unethical breeding environments. "There's not a puppy here that hasn't come from either someone who's breeding for greed and couldn't sell a whole litter, or someone who is misinformed and has an accidental litter," she said. "You can't just easily stick a litter of puppies on Gumtree now and get people coming in and giving you cash. "They will sell a couple, and the leftovers will go to the pounds, pregnant dogs will go to the pounds and when they've stopped finding purpose or use or financial gain, they end up in shelters like ours." It comes amid a number of reports of animal cruelty to RSPCA WA, with a 40-year-old man recently charged after more than 100 dogs were seized from his Canning Vale property in December. RSPCA WA inspectors allege some of the dogs required urgent medical attention, with most showing signs of distress and poor hygiene. One golden retriever puppy appeared to have a bulging eye. The man is due to front court on more than 30 counts of animal cruelty next month. In another incident, a 60-year-old man who had been running a puppy farming operation from his Bridgetown property was fined $112,000 for gross animal neglect. The RSPCA's animal services executive Hannah Dreaver said these were not isolated cases. "We've certainly had a few large-scale cases, which is concerning to see the volume that's coming through to us, particularly when there is so much education around the issues with puppy farming," she said. "When animals are continually being bred, it's really hard to stop the continued welfare problems that come from large-scale populations. "It's really hard to track those animals properly, especially in the backyard breeding space." Dreaver said the RSPCA WA relied solely on the public to alert the agency to suspected puppy farms, with common signs including noise from the property, unpleasant odours, and frequent visits to the property from people potentially buying animals. She said the restrictions on pet shops were welcome, but said prospective pet owners also must take responsibility for supporting ethical breeding. "It means that we can increase the responsibility on the person buying a puppy to make sure that they've really thought about what they're doing before they just go and buy a puppy on a whim, because they've walked past a pet shop front and they've seen a cute puppy that they like," she said. A number of provisions under the new laws are yet to roll out, including requirements for dogs to be de-sexed by the age of two years (unless eligible for an exemption), and the launch of a centralised dog and cat registration system. People will also need to apply for approval before breeding their dog. A Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries spokesperson said the state government was working to deliver the reforms in a "staged and planned way". The spokesperson said a AU$100,000 grant was available to help pet shops transition to receiving and selling rescue dogs. The spokesperson said funding had also been made available to support responsible pet ownership. "Last year, to support animal welfare, the WA Government delivered AU$500,000 to RSPCA WA to offer a 75 per cent subsidy on sterilisation costs for cats and dogs to WA Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card and Health Care Card holders. "As of December 2024, more than 1600 eligible pet owners on low incomes had applied to take up the offer, provided through eligible vet clinics in regional and metro areas across the state." - ABC News
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Tim Burton And His Dog Team With PETA To Create Pet Adoption Merchandise
Tim Burton and his dog, Levi. Tim Burton Productions Iconic director Tim Burton is taking his love of dogs to a new level by creating designs for PETA merch featuring his dog, Levi. Dogs, of course, have been frequently featured throughout Burton's film work, dating back to his classic stop-motion animated short Vincent, featuring Abercrombie, and the live-action short film version of Frankenweenie — featuring Sparky. The dog characters Zero, Scraps and Sparky are also prevalent characters in the filmmaker's stop-motion films Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and the feature-length version of Frankenweenie, respectively. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have informed me exclusively that Burton has teamed up with the nonprofit animal advocacy organization to design one-of-a-kind custom illustrations featuring Levi for a limited-edition line of T-shirts, tote bags and bandanas. The merchandise will be available online at the PETA shop. The illustrations that Burton designed for the PETA merchandise encourages prospective pet owners to alway "Adopt, Don't Shop' and have their four-legged companions spayed or neutered. The items range in price from $6.99 to $54.99 and all proceeds from the sales of Burton's line go to aid PETA's animal advocacy efforts. 'This unique collection is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans, film buffs, and fashionistas to own an original piece of Tim Burton's art and help homeless animals at the same time,' PETA's Director of Communications Lauren Thomasson said in a statement. 'PETA encourages everyone to pop into the PETA shop and snag this marvelous merch before it runs out.' PETA merchandise featuring designs by Tim Burton. PETA PETA noted that Tim Burton is the latest celebrity to team with PETA to promote pet adoption following acclaimed actors Ron Perlman, Tom Hardy, John Stamos, Dylan McDermott, Theo Rossi and Cristin Milioti. In February, PETA awarded Burton with its 2024 Best Director Oscat award 'for portraying animals through cutting-edge technology — including CGI, props, animatronics, and figurines — and casting his own dog' in his blockbuster Beetlejuice sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which was released in 2024. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, of course, featured the return of Michael Keaton as the Ghost with the Most, while Winona Ryder reprised her role as Lydia Deetz and Jenna Ortega — of Burton's smash Netflix series Wednesday — joined the sequel as Lydia's daughter, Astrid. 'With other nods to animal rights — like Astrid's 'Boycott Animal Testing backpack and a 'Protect the Animals' poster hanging in her dorm (yes, we noticed!) — Burton shows us that no decision is too small when it comes to creating animal-friendly cinema,' PETA noted on its Oscat honors page. Burton's love for dogs is chronicled in director Tara Wood's Untitled Tim Burton Docuseries, which covers the director and artist's life and work all the way from his childhood through the production of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Featuring interviews with several of Burton's collaborators, including actors Keaton, Ryder, Ortega, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito, composer Danny Elfman and producers Denise Di Novi and Derek Frey, Wood's Untitled Tim Burton Docuseries is still seeking a distributor. The PETA merchandise with Tim Burton's designs featuring his dog, Levi, is available on the PETA Shop website. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder
