Right back at the beginning of my animal welfare journey, I bought a dog. It was my second dog, Ajax, whom I purchased off the internet, from a guy who arranged to meet me in a pub carpark, half way between Melbourne and Sale. At the time I saw no problem with this. The man gave me a bedraggled half-grown animal, took his money and was gone.
Ajax, although loved throughout his life, was an utter mess. He arrived with infected ears and a huge mite load. He quickly showed that he was food aggressive, super anxious and was highly reactive to other dogs. He had lead aggression and would snap at people passing by. He had an almost Agoraphobic fear of being outdoors. Basically life was terrifying to him.
And I was left wondering – what the fuck is wrong with this dog?
Learning more about how Ajax came to be Ajax, was how I learned about puppy farming and became a big supporter of the ‘Say No To Animals In Pet Shops’ campaign. The founder June Bird, was trying to get the issue noticed and had done a pretty good job of doing so. She had stickers. She was doing major media. She had some celebrity supporters. And she had a website, which was no small feat in 2004.
When I moved back to Perth, I became one of the members of the Perth branch. This is us at the 2004 Million Paws Walk in South Perth (I’m the blonde LOL).
Fast forward to 2008 and the Say No campaign had largely lost its steam. PetRescue was up and running and we wanted to run a campaign that was close to our hearts. We developed ‘Where Do Puppies Come From?’ – an educational website to try and put the puppy farm issue back into the public space. We got expert comment from animal welfare leaders and information on why farming companion animals is bad for both the pets and the community.
We wanted to steer clear of the ‘WSPA sad bear’ style campaigns, as we believed they largely turned people away from this important message, and instead we played to people’s compassion for their own pets asking – why didn’t it extend to their pet’s mum? Our campaign won a major Voiceless award and $10,000 which we spent on some mainstream advertising designed to change consumer behaviour surrounding pet shop sales and, by extension reduce the market available to puppy farmers.
www.wheredopuppiescomefrom
Debra Tranter, who had been campaigning against the farming of companion animals for more than a decade, helped enormously with content for the ‘Where Do Puppies Come From?’ campaign. We promoted it in the media and on PetRescue and the associated Facebook grew to more than 25,000 members.
JB and Vix promoting PetRescue and Where Do Puppies Come From?
at the Sydney Cruelty Free Festival (2008)
In the same year the Clover Moore bill was being put forth to the NSW parliament, putting even more media and pressure on pet shops to eliminate live animal sales.
And the response from the pet industry to all this attention? To claim advocates were simply trying to eliminate pets entirely and that puppy farms simply no longer existed in Australia;
Faced with a serious shortage of ‘Puppy Mills’ to expose, since most of them have been properly closed and prosecuted under existing acts; the activists use frightening lurid pictures – most of which are more than half a decade old, from farms that were closed and prosecuted.
….Pet shops do not buy from puppy mills because the pets are of poor quality and often not well, and that’s the last thing a pet shop owner wants at the window.
Pet Industry Association of Australia CEO Dr Joanne Sillince December 2008
There was very little public contribution by the RSPCA to these campaigns, however when interviewed in association with the Clover Moore bill, they purported to be supportive;
“The RSPCA supports an end to the sale of pets in pet shops to prevent the euthanasia of hundreds of thousands of animals each year and to remove the market for cruel backyard breeding and puppy farms,”
Steve Coleman, the RSPCA NSW chief.
It’s hard to believe Oscars Law only launched mid-way through 2010. Since it’s launch, it has been doing a remarkable job in taking the lobbying for the ban of pet shop sales and puppy farming nuclear.
The unstoppable Debra Tranter has taken her horror behind the scenes footage from puppy farms across the nation, cleverly packaging it up into a palatable, but outrage-inducing, public-friendly format and pumped it out under the Oscars Law brand. Oscars Law have been a media sensation. Boasting an abundance of celebrity supporters, Debra and the Oscars Law team have been doing the hard yards, hitting the pavements and taking their message to the masses, culminating in a huge rally on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne.
Nearly 50,000 facebook members – nearly 700,000 views of their television commercial. The message the Oscars Law brand resoundingly echoes; farming our companion animals is wrong on every level – don’t buy from pet shops.
The growth of this movement has taken some impressive scalps along the way. Pets Paradise, who had been on the precipice of collapsing under the consumer swing away from live-animal stores, was given a mighty shove and went into receivership. The Australian Association of Pet Dog Breeders (AAPDB) lost its Founder and champion mouthpiece after a raid on her premises revealed dirt and dispair. While it is rumoured that breeders who supply puppies to pet shops are reporting a 25% drop in sales since the movement gained momentum.
An issue that had been going on for literally decades – the retail production, shipment and sales of companion animals – in just a few short years had become a major animal welfare issue that people genuinely wished to see end.
What did the RSPCA have to do while this was all going on? Basically nothing. They just needed to STFU and sit tight while animal advocates and largely Oscars Law drove the pet shop and puppy farm industry into the history books.
So what DID the RSPCA do? Sensing that puppy farms were becoming topical in mid 2011, it released its ‘Smart Puppy Buyer Guide’. It recommended;
Don’t buy a puppy from a pet shop or through an internet or newspaper advertisement without being able to visit its home, as you can’t check out the conditions in which the puppy was bred or know where it came from.
But it also introduced the idea of ‘irresponsible breeders’ – the vaguest of vague terms. The organisation then campaigned against ‘backyard breeders’, ‘registered breeders’ (as per the UK dog documentary ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’) and then, having completely baffled the public, they also jumped on the anti-puppy farming wagon.
Close Puppy Factories launched in December 2010 and was primarily designed to collect the contact details of people with an interest in the issue, cynically asking people to ‘pledge support’ for the notion that “…. with your signature of support we can approach the government requesting to have the laws and legislations regulating puppy factories tightened, ultimately closing them down for good”. To date they have collected 100,000 ‘signatures’.
So late to the party, sloppy and unfocussed, the RSPCA got it’s nose into the debate. But it was also doing something else – something at the same time that no one ever thought they would do.
They were working to join forces with the puppy farmers.
Ironically, while the RSPCA largely refused to put their own pets in stores, for fear of ‘impulse buys’ – preferring to leave them in shelters in remote locations and often killing them for lack of a home – behind the scenes their head office was changing their position statements to allow pet shops to be ‘reborn’ as ethical and humane.
In 2009 they changed the wording of their policy on pet shop sales;
In a new policy statement adopted 28th October 2009 the RSPCA amended section A2.1 from “The RSPCA is opposed to the sale of animals from pet shops” to the following:
“RSPCA Australia believes that acquiring a companion animal should be the result of careful planning and a clear understanding of the responsibilities involved. Prospective owners should carefully consider whether they have and will continue to have, the facilities, time, financial means and level of interest necessary to ensure a satisfactory standard of care for their animals”
The new policy can be read on the National RSPCA web site
Then, in March 2012 it announced that it would be rolling out a program, in conjunction with the Pet Industry Association of Australia whereby the PIAA could brand their association pet shops as ‘RSPCA approved’ and in return, the RSPCA would take any dogs who failed to stick in their new homes.
Speaking at the launch at NSW Parliament House, PIAA Chief Executive Roger Perkins said consumers can now be confident that by buying a dog or puppy from a PIAA member store, they are helping to stamp out dodgy puppy farms.
“Dogs and puppies sold in our stores will only be from PIAA approved breeders who care for their dogs,” Mr Perkins said.
…
RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman said: “The RSPCA welcomes this major step toward saving many dogs from being put down.” He added that “the PIAA’s iniaitive in seeking to better control the breeding and sale of puppies is a significant advancement in improving animal welfare.”
So far two dogs have been rescued through the NSW program. Two. However, hundreds of puppies have been bred, boxed, shipped and sold in stores, and consumers are being duped – not by puppy farmers or profit-based retail outlets – but by the major animal welfare organisation in the country who says this process is A-OK!
This week saw the launch of the same program, but this time in Queensland.
Pups will live to bark another day (Herald Sun & The Australian)
RSPCA makes move to protect puppies from abuse in Qld (The Satellite )
Pet store pups protected under new policy (Gold Coast Bulletin News)
RSPCA makes move to protect puppies from abuse in Qld (My Daily News)
RSPCA behavioural trainer Kevin Gregor poses with rescued puppies in Brisbane, Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Queensland pet stores will introduce a new policy which will end their use of unethical puppy farms, and the killing of unwanted dogs.
Kicking the legs out from a movement making headway into a real, genuine change for the benefit of pets – the anti-pet shop movement – the RSPCA has now become a friend to farmers. Not only back-tracking on their own organisation’s policies, but simply making pet shop sales perfectly acceptable again. To benefit pets, you understand.
So the directive is thus. Now the RSPCA & PIAA have joined forces, puppy farms will now be known as ‘happy, fun pet playgrounds’. And those puppy farm mothers who never see the sun? ‘The spoiled, lovely girlie dog volunteers’.
Is it any wonder that the community is becoming disenchanted with the RSPCA?
This can’t be true???
i do hope that this isnt true , i have a 6 yr old toy that was used for breeding and as soon a si got her she was desexed and all the other vet work and ops needed this little girl is a gem now she knows she is loved so much that she is non aggressive anyway even with food , she is insistent on trying to feed us with goodos or bone usually at 3am
Hope this is not true. Go and visit the places where some of the dogs have been seized from. What are you thinking????
This is outrageous!!! How dare they! I am so shocked and upset by this news!!!
Janet, not all dogs that are used in, or come from puppy farms have health and behavioural issues. But this does not change the fact that they are prisoners for profit, kept in loveless and appalling conditions.
This is disgraceful RSPCA, without question NO dogs should be sold through pet shops!
I believe this to be very true!! RSPCA NSW have an horrific record of killing dogs and cats even though there are many rescue groups that are ready and willing to take the animals to foster and then rehome. But RSPCA won’t work with rescue groups; if they do they will not state which ones!! It is so much easier for them to kill the animals instead of working with rescue groups.
Reading this leaves me absolutely disgusted in the RSPCA; more disgusted and angry that I was before. This information…the true story…needs to be put out into the public and media so that naive people get the true story of what they are up to.
The millions of dollars they have, the properties they own but do not use, the shares they buy with the public donations. I could go on and on but I am so angry now I had better stop before I get hit with a slander notice!!!
SHAME ON YOU RSPCA!!!!!!!!!!!
You must be joking . . . no Puppy Farm should have RSPCA approval . . . I honestly cannot believe you have taken this backward step . . there is no excuse for this, you need to look at some Rescue sites and see what they take in from puppy farms . . start to offer discounted sterilizations, to everyone . . totally disgusted . . .
I am so disenchanted with the RSPCA over this. We need to put to stop to all puppy farms now!! How can they advocate this?????????????? I will never donate to them again, but will give my donations directly to a shelter that will stand by the animals.
I would have loved to have gotten a small dog from the RSPCA. We had 2 Chihuahuas one purchased from a breeder, and the other a rescue. Someone basically asked if we wanted her. Anyway we have lost them both to old age. Our local RSPCA had 2 chihuahuas but when we enquired, I was told that because I had a guide dog and a rotty we were not eligible to get a dog from the RSPCA. The Rotty has been raised with small dogs and the guide dog has had small dogs around ever since I got her. I was basically forced to go to a breeder to get our chihuahua chinese crested mix. I am not saying they should hand out dogs willy-nilly but the fact that we raised 2 Chihuahuas to old age and that I have a well behaved guide dog should count for something? Just my 2 cents worth.
How could an organisation calling itself a prevention of cruelty to animals business, allow bitches especially to be kept in dark sheds, in a cage with no room to move, producing litter after litter for some uncaring humans profit margins.
This is barbaric in anyones’ terms.
We need to keep objecting to this callous treatment, for as long as it exists.
I am absolutley disgusted with the RSPCA, they are meant to be there to protect all unwanted dogs and cats. I wish there was more I could do to help.
Come on Rspca how can you allow this to go on. As someone who had a puppy from a well knon puppyfarm it is so cruel. changing the name does change the behavior.
Absolutely appalling. You failed to mention that RSPCA now ave volunteer run Pet Stores of their own, that sell animals willy nilly to people! They sold a Guinea pig to my friend, who bought it for her daughters, it was sick when they got it home, spent $1000 trying to save its life, and offerred no support to the family when nly months after purchase theses poor young girls had to bury their “ethically bred RSPCA pet”.
Disgraceful.
Can someone show me where was it said in that artical that the RSPCA actualy stated “RSPCA supports puppy mills/farm” everything I read said that the RSPCA and the PIAA support responsible and caring breeders to supply approved pet stores.
This statement says it all I think “Speaking at the launch at NSW Parliament House, PIAA Chief Executive Roger Perkins said consumers can now be confident that by buying a dog or puppy from a PIAA member store, they are helping to stamp out dodgy puppy farms.
“Dogs and puppies sold in our stores will only be from PIAA approved breeders who care for their dogs,” Mr Perkins said”
There is however a sticker (i assume) stating that RSPCA Supports Puppy Farm but I can make that up on any computer so before condeming the RSPCA start thinking of the job they have to do and if the general public took responsibilty for dumping dogs then this issue would not be here.
The PIAA is the major mouthpiece for live animal sale pet shops and those places where large numbers of dogs are kept, not as pets but as production animals, and are bred from… puppy farms.
Surprisingly, Puppy Farmers tend to actually have no problem with the term. They farm dogs – they are puppy farmers. Just like there are pig farmers and dairy farmers.
However, the idea that bulk-farmed puppies come from ‘responsible’ breeders is negated by the fact that they then sell their wares to pet shops. No responsible breeder would be happy for their pups to be sold like a toaster to whatever passerby fancied getting a puppy that day.
What you’re actually asking is, can puppy farms be ‘humane’.
They can be ‘clean’, sure.
But try and find a dog trainer or behaviorist who recommends getting your dog from a pet shop and you’ll find an almost universal consensus. Farmed dogs producing puppies into a farmed environment set companion animals up to fail.
http://wheredopuppiescomefrom.com.au/what-the-experts-say/
The RSPCA have stated in their own literature that no one should buy a puppy online, in pet shops and the parents of the pups should be seen before buying.
This is not online garbage, this is the RSPCA accepting the PIAA’s stance (who do endorse ‘up to standard’ puppy farms).
Responsible and caring breeders’ would not put their animals in a pet shop to be sold to anyone who has the money, that is breeders breeding for money. Ethical breeders back the pups up that they produce, and rehome to screened homes, and give the pup a lifetime back up of if ever needing rehoming that the owner get in contact with them first to take the pup/dog back. So that would make the RSPCA’s offer of taking the pups null and void..
If you can’t put the dots together do not sit there and think this move is anything positive, rather think about the bigger picture of where the hell these pups come from and what conditions are the parents living in.
No! No! No! This is just straight up wrong!! Whatever happened to the ‘Protection from Cruelty to Animals”???
Puppy farms are the epitome of cruelty. This MUST NOT happen RSPCA.
No surprised here…..First they kill pit bulls for decades and then it becomes a public issue so they publically say NO to BSL!! Meanwhile they still kill pitbulls and house BSL victims whose only crime is looking a certain way (hellooooo Hitler!!)
Add this to the fact that it is a COMPLETE conflict of interest for an animal ‘shelter’ to act as a council pound!
Contracturally requiring them to “make room” for incoming pound animals…how to make room?? Become a high kill shelter…..completely missing the meaning of the word SHELTER!! And…hang on…we don’t have enough room for the current influx of animals…lets apply for more and more and more pound contracts…leaving even less room for ‘sheltering’ animals!!
And heres an idea…lets make our temperament testing so stringent that most regular pet dogs have no hope of passing them! Lets kill dogs for wandering jew allergy, turning around when we make a loud noise behind them or standing too far over their bowl while they eat……
So, if your dog gets out…lets just hope it doesnt look a certain way, or act a certain way…or end up at the RSPCA at all!!!
Oscars Law has done some great good and has a very admirable and honourable aims, yet offers and focusses on an ideal outcome as opposed to providing a complete answer to the issue.
More work is needed to come up with a feasible, immediately actionable, cost effective and robust strategy to end the farming of companion animals.
In this spirit, the No Kill movement seems to certainly offer the other half of the equation – beyond the ideal, it certainly appears that it has the runs on the board and the programs necessary to effect the transformation that Oscars Law calls for at a ‘ready to action’ stage.
Further to this it would be nice to see the Oscars Law brand take a position on what they consider to be the key performance indicators for the types of rescues/shelters and pounds that they consider folks should adopt from in preference to the purchase from pet shops.
For example, somebody supporting LDH would be less than preferable given their massive kill rate and high level of commitment to their internal policies and political positions (BSL) that drive their high kill philosophy.
Perhaps OL and NKM should team up to offer a total solution to decision makers?
It would certainly be interesting to see the OL brand evolve in this way and use its momentum and good name to swing the pendulum further towards the transformation that they seek – in praxis as well as in spirit.
The RSPCA will WORK with puppy farms, but attack shelters that work as part of the No Kill movement. They have their priorities all wrong. Just as BSL targets the wrong end of the leash, the RSPCA seemingly SUPPORT the ongoing breeding of domestic pets, (how can such “apparently justifiable” high kill rates be considered an acceptable way to manage oversupply of domestic pets?) then target, raid, take and kill healthy happy dogs from shelters with a no kill policy, in opposed to working with these shelters for the best interests of these animals? At what point is it still going to be acceptable to the Aussie taxpayer to leave THIS organisation the ones to administer justice on behalf of our voiceless animals in our communities? REMEMBER the actions of the RSPCA are supported in part, by government funding, so are supported by ALL OF US! We need to make it clear that, just as BSL will NOT reduce the number of dog attacks in a community, that no kill shelters ARE the way we want animal rescue to work, and that it is the job of the RSPCA to END the over breeding, oversupply and reckless, irresponsible actions of those PROFITING from breeding puppies and kittens. It is their job to SUPPORT, WORK within and PROMOTE shelters and adoptions of pets rather than destruction of them.IF YOU DO NOT DO IT RIGHT…. YOU DO NOT GET PAID! SACK EM AN EMPLOY SOMEONE ELSE!!!!
The RSPCA stood for PREVENTION of cruelty to animals Their latest decision changes their name to RSECA ENCOURAGEMENT of cruelty to animals You disgusting hypocrites!!!
The RSPCA is just another money making organisation and they have started to care less for animals and more about the dollar. One of their money making ventures being eggs and now selling the tick to puppy farms. There is no such thing as a good puppy farm!!!!! What happens when you call them about a sick or injured animal? They fob you off to the council or wildlife rescue, they let others do the real work while they sit back and collect the dollars. God forbid you don’t have the money to pay for a vet because they won’t help you there either. Why don’t they desex animals free of charge? They disgust me.
What I don’t get is this:
Any dog purchased from a PIAA member that is subsequently abandoned by its owner will be re-homed and saved from euthanasia. The first state to implement PIAA re-homing is NSW, where PIAA has partnered with RSPCA NSW.
How are they keeping track of them? But more importantly, second to the health and welfare of breeding animals one of the significant issues is that pups sourced from pet shops have often missed out on critical socialisation and handling. We know this can lead to serious behaviour problems for the dogs later in life. The RSPCA already has a questionable temperament test and rehoming policy so does their “guarantee” to rehome PIAA member sold pups extend to those with behavioural problems?
I guess the gist of what I am reading is that the information provided by PIAA and RSPCA is designed to mislead the well intended public. Again.
It’s interesting how you fail to mention the hours, days, months, years that RSPCA inspectors spend in court fighting to keep the animals that they have saved from puppy farms. And if RSPCA are such baddies that you keep saying they are, why do you work with them on your Pet Rescue program?
Oh – that totes makes it ok then.
As long as *some* good is being done, then by all means keep farming dogs & selling them in shops.
Then why does Oscar’s Law do rallies with RSPCA? RSPCA state they are against puppy farms. You’ve made some really big assumptions here
What assumptions?