The manager of Paws and Claws has welcomed the State Government’s proposed changes to animal cruelty laws, but says de-sexing and education are priority.

Attorney General, Paul Lucas, has announced that Courts could be given new powers to stop people awaiting trial for cruelty offences from owning animals under new laws to be introduced to Parliament this week and create a new offence of serious animal cruelty under the Criminal Code.

They include:

• Amending the Criminal Code to include an offence of serious animal cruelty carrying a maximum sentence of seven years;

• Anyone convicted of serious animal cruelty will be automatically banned from owning an animal of the same type for two years with courts having the power to impose longer bans;

• Amending the Animal Care and Protection Act to allow courts to impose an interim ban on people owning an animal during legal proceedings or after legal proceedings;

• Amending the Animal Care and Protection Act to increase the maximum jail sentence to three years and increase the maximum fine to $200,000.

Bianca Maguire of the Port Douglas-based, not-for-profit animal shelter, Paws and Claws, said while she was pleased with the amendments to the penalties, there were other issues that needed to be highlighted.

“I agree with the decisions, but the penalties are not advertised enough,” she said.

“We see ads on TV telling us the penalties for other offences, like drink driving, but the different types of animal cruelty need to be highlighted.

“For example, some people think its OK to leave their dog in the back yard all day without water.”

Bianca said Paws and Claws, which has housed dogs, cats, chickens, guinea pigs, budgies and even a rooster recently, has seen a high number of puppies come through the doors of late.

“All the problems that we see at Paws and Claws on a daily basis stem from people not de-sexing their animals,” she said.

“This year, we’ve had a lot of puppies through – at one stage we had 17 puppies at one time.

“It’s great the Government wants to increase cruelty laws, but de-sexing needs to be made law, just as registration and mico-chipping is.”

Paws and Claws is currently fundraising to build a new animal care facility at Craiglie, aiming for a total of $500,000.

Anyone wanting to make a donation can do so on their website or support one of their upcoming fundraisers, such as Melbourne Cup Day at Watergate Restaurant. 

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