Proposed changes to regulations in puppy farming laws could see increase in non-sterilised dogs being put down

The City of Greater Geraldton has revealed the number of dogs it is forced to put down could rise alarmingly under proposed changes to stamp out puppy farming. Under existing regulations, dogs must be microchipped and registered so owners can retrieve them from the City’s animal management facility. The changes will add another clause — if the dog is more than two years old, it must be sterilised before the owner can take it home. The manager of the City’s regulatory services, Andy Gaze, shed some light on how many dogs were coming into the animal management facility. In 2022, 964 dogs came to the facility. In the 2023 September quarter, 232 dogs were admitted to the AMF and, of them, only 76 were registered. Mr Gaze said: “At a best guess, for 2023, I’d say 70 per cent of the dogs we’ve taken in this year have been sterilised.” It is unknown how many of the unsterilised dogs were over the age of two. The City is drafting feedback to the State Government on the regulations, which it believes are burdensome and costly for pet owners, businesses and the City itself. Should the regulation come into effect, it is forecast to cost an additional $240,000 a year. City CEO Ross McKim was blunt with his words in last week’s agenda forum meeting. “It’ll result in an increased number of dogs being put down,” he said. The change to the regulation is a way to reduce excessive and unruly dog breeding, limiting the number of dogs flooding rescue facilities. The only way around the rule is if the owner has a breeding permit. At the council’s ordinary meeting on Tuesday, the City refined its feedback, noting “significant additional costs and burdens placed on dog owners and some businesses”. “These costs could lead to non-compliance . . . there are likely to be extensive resource implications for the City,” it stated. The document said the resources needed to enact the regulation would need to be provided by the State Government, and at a minimum would need to include access to affordable sterilisation services. The consultation process requires local governments to submit their feedback by November 17. The start of the changes will be determined once feedback has been assessed.