Dog Standards and Guidelines open for consultation
The department has released the draft Standards and Guidelines for the Health and Welfare of Dogs in WA for public consultation.
The draft Standards and Guidelines propose minimum requirements that owners and people in charge of dogs must follow to ensure the health and welfare of dogs kept in WA. Additional guidelines and information are included to further protect and promote the health and welfare of dogs.
The document also includes Mandatory Standards for Dog Breeding, which establish minimum requirements for the health and welfare of dogs used for breeding, and for their puppies.
Staff from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, RSPCA WA, the Australian Veterinary Association, the Murdoch University School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, and Dogs West have worked diligently and collaboratively on the standards and guidelines for more than a year.
In developing the document, the writing group worked to ensure the standards and guidelines reflect current science and contemporary attitudes about the humane treatment of dogs.
The release of the Standards and Guidelines supports the State Government’s Stop Puppy Farming initiative.
Making a submission
Feedback on the draft Standards and Guidelines can be provided via an online survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The results of this survey will be made available through the consultation summary report, but the names of respondents who provide feedback through the online survey will not be published.
Written submissions are also accepted. Comments can be provided either by completing the public submission form, or by drafting an individual written submission.
Written submissions will be made public and published in full on the department’s website unless you ask for it to be confidential. Submissions that contain defamatory or offensive material will not be published.
The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 7 June 2019. To read the draft document and find out more about how you can make a submission, go to the department’s website.