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: Angela Organisation: Natural Resources, SA Murray Darling Basin (DEWNR) What are your thoughts on the topic being considered by the Jury? I work in the NRM Education Team, for Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin (part of the Dept of Environment, Water and Natural Resources). As part of my role, I run the Young Environmental Leaders (YEL) Program, where year 5-7 students from local schools meet once a term in a local natural place to learn about the environment, issues and take action. At the recent Term 2 YEL for the Rangelands area, students from Burra Community School and St John’s Lutheran School Eudunda were presented with the problem of owned, semiowned and feral cats and the impact they have on native wildlife. The students split into groups to address the problem and their ideas are below. While some of the ideas are a bit humorous, the students are now aware of the cat issue and by making this submission, the students will see that they can have a say in environmental issues and that their ideas are appreciated.
Group 1: representing cat owners As cat owners, we believe that we should get the word out personally around the neighbourhood:
Feed cats more often. Have flavoured cat biscuits. Have cat runs in an outdoor area. Desex and microchip all cats. Cats must stay inside. Breed more native animals and having breeding facilities at zoos. Put Go-Pros on cats. Put a GPS on your cat and it shocks the cat when it does something wrong. Give people more information on what they should do. Have a belt around the cats, and when it goes the wrong way it squirts them.
Group 2: representing the Goyder council dealing with the semi-owned cat problem Reporter: Today I will be reporting on the semi-owned cat problem. I have two of our local councillors. So Councillors, do you have any ideas for this crucial problem? Councillor 1: To adopt all the semi-owned cats into crazy cat homes and to train them. Councillor 2: We could have a process where we trap the cats, put them in the pound and if owners wish to collect them, they can, but after 30 days we will get rid of them. Councillor 1: Maybe you can send them to people who want a family and can’t have one. Reporter: Well that is all we have for tonight. Good afternoon and thank you for watching. Group 3: representing government dealing with feral cat problem We, the government, hereby issue a new law that all feral cats must be eradicated. No owner shall have more than two cats and no breeding unless a registered cat breeder. All home cats are to be desexed and microchipped. TV ads and radio ads will promote damage that feral cats do to native animals, birdlife, etc. and promote that cats are not native Australian animals. Our other ideas: use cats for sports – cat fights at halftime at AFL games; feral cat fire ladders; use as targets at shooting ranges; make car seat covers; use them as bait.
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: Angela Organisation: Natural Resources, SA Murray Darling Basin (DEWNR) What are your thoughts on the topic being considered by the Jury? I work in the NRM Education Team, for Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin (part of the Dept of Environment, Water and Natural Resources). As part of my role, I run the Young Environmental Leaders (YEL) Program, where year 5-7 students from local schools meet once a term in a local natural place to learn about the environment, issues and take action. At the recent Term 2 YEL for the Rangelands area, students from Burra Community School and St John’s Lutheran School Eudunda were presented with the problem of owned, semiowned and feral cats and the impact they have on native wildlife. The students split into groups to address the problem and their ideas are below. While some of the ideas are a bit humorous, the students are now aware of the cat issue and by making this submission, the students will see that they can have a say in environmental issues and that their ideas are appreciated.
Group 1: representing cat owners As cat owners, we believe that we should get the word out personally around the neighbourhood:
Feed cats more often. Have flavoured cat biscuits. Have cat runs in an outdoor area. Desex and microchip all cats. Cats must stay inside. Breed more native animals and having breeding facilities at zoos. Put Go-Pros on cats. Put a GPS on your cat and it shocks the cat when it does something wrong. Give people more information on what they should do. Have a belt around the cats, and when it goes the wrong way it squirts them.
Group 2: representing the Goyder council dealing with the semi-owned cat problem Reporter: Today I will be reporting on the semi-owned cat problem. I have two of our local councillors. So Councillors, do you have any ideas for this crucial problem? Councillor 1: To adopt all the semi-owned cats into crazy cat homes and to train them. Councillor 2: We could have a process where we trap the cats, put them in the pound and if owners wish to collect them, they can, but after 30 days we will get rid of them. Councillor 1: Maybe you can send them to people who want a family and can’t have one. Reporter: Well that is all we have for tonight. Good afternoon and thank you for watching. Group 3: representing government dealing with feral cat problem We, the government, hereby issue a new law that all feral cats must be eradicated. No owner shall have more than two cats and no breeding unless a registered cat breeder. All home cats are to be desexed and microchipped. TV ads and radio ads will promote damage that feral cats do to native animals, birdlife, etc. and promote that cats are not native Australian animals. Our other ideas: use cats for sports – cat fights at halftime at AFL games; feral cat fire ladders; use as targets at shooting ranges; make car seat covers; use them as bait.
