Citizens Jury: Dog and Cat Management - YourSAy
Citizens Jury: Dog and Cat Management SUBMISSION FORM During June and July 32 ordinary South Australians will be selected and given the opportunity to deliberate and make recommendations on the issue:
Last year in South Australia over 10,000 unwanted dogs and cats were put down. The State Government recently announced some reforms to dog and cat laws. What further measures can we introduce or trial to reduce the number of unwanted pets? The Jury want to hear your thoughts on this topic to inform their recommendations to parliament. Please fill in this submission form prior to Friday the 10th July 2015. Your submission should be no more than two pages. Please clearly outline your point of view and provide examples to support your submission. ___________________________________________________________________________ Details about you: Name:
Wayne
Citizen - Concerned Private Citizen only - Not representing any organisation
What are your thoughts on the topic being considered by the Jury? 1. To reduce unpleasant and unnecessary pet euthanasia and to protect humans and local wildlife, all dogs and cats kept by the general public should be de-sexed, micro-chipped, registered, fully vaccinated, kept healthy and all should be required to wear a collar with bells on it at all times. 2. Only registered, accredited, regularly inspected pet facilities should be permitted to retain dogs and cats for breeding purposes. Pets should be obtained and bought only from these authorised organisations, with all animals fully vaccinated, checked for good health, de-sexed, registered and micro-chipped before purchase. Owners then should be required to keep up to date any other vaccinations, treatments for illnesses and registration records; for example, if they move address. This will be good for them, good for their pets and good for the environment – win-win for all. Page 1 of 3
3. Where there are breaches of these requirements, substantial, but sensible, fines should be applied to owners and breeders by authorised cat and dog management rangers. 4. ALL pets (including dogs and cats) should be kept within the owners’ properties or under control at all times and the animals should be prevented from barking or screaming excessively. When off the home property, the animals must be on a lease and under constant close control. They can be allowed to run free for exercise and play only on authorised, supervised, well-fenced exercise precincts. All dogs (all breeds, all sizes) are capable of causing serious injury to humans and other animals. Given the chance, all dogs and cats will wander and kill birds and other animals and also can attack humans, causing serious injury. A cat or dog bite is a very serious injury for a human, not only because of the tissue trauma caused; but also because of the very serious risk of life-threatening infections. 5. Cats and dogs are not native to this country (Aboriginal people brought in the dingo). Scientific studies have shown that here are about 3 million domestic cats and about 15 million wild/feral cats in Australia. Each one of these 18 million animals can kill and consume about 10 native animals (birds, lizards, mice, small mammals, etc) per day. Many (most?) feral cats and dogs originated from domestic animals being intentionally or unintentionally released into the bush, where they have bred beyond control and are causing enormous damage. Wild dogs also are extremely prevalent and cause enormous damage – ask any farmer. 6. A study result published in "The Advertiser" several years ago reported how a very well cared for domestic cat was fed in the evening and then released with a GPS tracker on it. Over the night, it wandered about 15 kilometres up Main North Road before returning home in the morning. On pumping out its stomach, several lizards, birds and other animals were found, on top of its home feed. 7. Despite what responsible (and irresponsible) owners think, their cat or dog is a natural hunter and killer. That's what they do, even when well fed and cared for lovingly by the owners. There are at least five well-conditioned neighbours' cats which wander through our suburban property during the day and night. Hunting behaviours are seen in all of these visiting cats, who keep coming back, despite being discouraged by our chasing then out of our yard every time they are seen. We have not observed any small lizards in our yard for years – since the cats moved into the neighbourhood. Dogs also are hunters and are particularly dangerous when in packs. 8. Dogs and cats can be contained within their owners’ properties by installing high, difficult-to-climb fences with rotating devices on the fence top (available commercially) to Page 2 of 3
prevent the animal getting over the fence. Also, provisions should be put in place to prevent the animal getting through fence holes or burrowing under it. If this is not possible, the animals can be contained within large steel cages (dog or cat runs) which give the animal free run of a large part of the owner’s yard; but prevents the pets’ escaping the property. Another option employed by cat owners near us, who do not have a front fence, is to put their two cats on a long lease each when outside the house. Again, they have free run of the owner’s property; but remain within it. The cats seem very happy with this arrangement. 9. Preventing the pet from getting out of the owner’s property is the best preventative strategy. However, given nothing is perfect and accidental pet escapes will occur, universal micro-chipping of the animals will ensure that it is traceable and thus can be re-claimed by the owners. Euthanasia rates will drop. 10. Nobody wants their pets or their neighbours’ pets to become lost, hurt or put down (euthanised because the pet has left the home property, got lost and become unclaimed because they are untraceable) – or for their pet to hurt or kill humans, birds or other animals – or for their pet to become wild and feral and thus become a very, very big environmental problem. However, with sensible precautions for breeding, care, monitoring and containment, everyone will benefit – the pets, their owners, people without pets and the wider environment. 11. Please make appropriate changes to the Dog and Cat Management Act to include the above suggestions, so that a better situation for all can be implemented.
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Last year in South Australia over 10,000 unwanted dogs and cats were put down. The State Government recently announced some reforms to dog and cat laws. What further measures can we introduce or trial to reduce the number of unwanted pets? The Jury want to hear your thoughts on this topic to inform their recommendations to parliament. Please fill in this submission form prior to Friday the 10th July 2015. Your submission should be no more than two pages. Please clearly outline your point of view and provide examples to support your submission. ___________________________________________________________________________ Details about you: Name:
Wayne
Citizen - Concerned Private Citizen only - Not representing any organisation
What are your thoughts on the topic being considered by the Jury? 1. To reduce unpleasant and unnecessary pet euthanasia and to protect humans and local wildlife, all dogs and cats kept by the general public should be de-sexed, micro-chipped, registered, fully vaccinated, kept healthy and all should be required to wear a collar with bells on it at all times. 2. Only registered, accredited, regularly inspected pet facilities should be permitted to retain dogs and cats for breeding purposes. Pets should be obtained and bought only from these authorised organisations, with all animals fully vaccinated, checked for good health, de-sexed, registered and micro-chipped before purchase. Owners then should be required to keep up to date any other vaccinations, treatments for illnesses and registration records; for example, if they move address. This will be good for them, good for their pets and good for the environment – win-win for all. Page 1 of 3
3. Where there are breaches of these requirements, substantial, but sensible, fines should be applied to owners and breeders by authorised cat and dog management rangers. 4. ALL pets (including dogs and cats) should be kept within the owners’ properties or under control at all times and the animals should be prevented from barking or screaming excessively. When off the home property, the animals must be on a lease and under constant close control. They can be allowed to run free for exercise and play only on authorised, supervised, well-fenced exercise precincts. All dogs (all breeds, all sizes) are capable of causing serious injury to humans and other animals. Given the chance, all dogs and cats will wander and kill birds and other animals and also can attack humans, causing serious injury. A cat or dog bite is a very serious injury for a human, not only because of the tissue trauma caused; but also because of the very serious risk of life-threatening infections. 5. Cats and dogs are not native to this country (Aboriginal people brought in the dingo). Scientific studies have shown that here are about 3 million domestic cats and about 15 million wild/feral cats in Australia. Each one of these 18 million animals can kill and consume about 10 native animals (birds, lizards, mice, small mammals, etc) per day. Many (most?) feral cats and dogs originated from domestic animals being intentionally or unintentionally released into the bush, where they have bred beyond control and are causing enormous damage. Wild dogs also are extremely prevalent and cause enormous damage – ask any farmer. 6. A study result published in "The Advertiser" several years ago reported how a very well cared for domestic cat was fed in the evening and then released with a GPS tracker on it. Over the night, it wandered about 15 kilometres up Main North Road before returning home in the morning. On pumping out its stomach, several lizards, birds and other animals were found, on top of its home feed. 7. Despite what responsible (and irresponsible) owners think, their cat or dog is a natural hunter and killer. That's what they do, even when well fed and cared for lovingly by the owners. There are at least five well-conditioned neighbours' cats which wander through our suburban property during the day and night. Hunting behaviours are seen in all of these visiting cats, who keep coming back, despite being discouraged by our chasing then out of our yard every time they are seen. We have not observed any small lizards in our yard for years – since the cats moved into the neighbourhood. Dogs also are hunters and are particularly dangerous when in packs. 8. Dogs and cats can be contained within their owners’ properties by installing high, difficult-to-climb fences with rotating devices on the fence top (available commercially) to Page 2 of 3
prevent the animal getting over the fence. Also, provisions should be put in place to prevent the animal getting through fence holes or burrowing under it. If this is not possible, the animals can be contained within large steel cages (dog or cat runs) which give the animal free run of a large part of the owner’s yard; but prevents the pets’ escaping the property. Another option employed by cat owners near us, who do not have a front fence, is to put their two cats on a long lease each when outside the house. Again, they have free run of the owner’s property; but remain within it. The cats seem very happy with this arrangement. 9. Preventing the pet from getting out of the owner’s property is the best preventative strategy. However, given nothing is perfect and accidental pet escapes will occur, universal micro-chipping of the animals will ensure that it is traceable and thus can be re-claimed by the owners. Euthanasia rates will drop. 10. Nobody wants their pets or their neighbours’ pets to become lost, hurt or put down (euthanised because the pet has left the home property, got lost and become unclaimed because they are untraceable) – or for their pet to hurt or kill humans, birds or other animals – or for their pet to become wild and feral and thus become a very, very big environmental problem. However, with sensible precautions for breeding, care, monitoring and containment, everyone will benefit – the pets, their owners, people without pets and the wider environment. 11. Please make appropriate changes to the Dog and Cat Management Act to include the above suggestions, so that a better situation for all can be implemented.
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