A new study has shown that chocolate-coloured labradors has shorter lives compared to its yellow and black counterparts. It was found as well that skin diseases and ear infections were more common in chocolate labradors.

Click here to find more surprising results in this study!

Copyright : Evgeny Sofrygin

Pets Australia was warmly welcomed by the Senate Committee Inquiry into Pet Food, with many comments about member’s sensible ideas and rational approach.

You can see the submission which was presented to the Committee HERE. Pets Australia was questioned about the standards applying to pet food ingredients and the pet food industry, the steps and commercial rationale behind setting up a product recall, how to establish whether a disease is CAUSED by an ingredient (including a short discussion on statistics). We discussed the association between “Grain free” and taurine investigation by the FDA(see here for more information), and how a Code of Practice could be administered in Australia. The Committee actually suggested a “tick” marketing mark or companies who had a series of positive audits!

This Committee is not necessarily keen to regulate beyond the minimum necessary to maintain standards, recognising that this adds significant costs to innovative local food manufacturers.

The Cat Protection Society and Nestle, who were present, both endorsed every aspect of the Pets Australia submission, so we must be doing something right!

Copyright : annepunch

The AVA has published a new policy “banning” routine dew claw removal, declawing any other procedure “for human convenience”. That means that any veterinarian who does these without animal welfare or medical reasons can be thrown out of the AVA. READ THE NEW POLICY HERE

Copyright : Aleksey Mnogosmyslov

The new AVA Guidelines no longer have a blanket recommendation for “three yearly or “triennial” vaccines referring instead for a personal discussion with your veterinarian based on presumed disease load in the community. Members who need assistance translating the vet-speak are welcome to contact the office. READ THE POLICY HERE

The Coalition Minister has stood aside from some of the more controversial proposals after sustained campaigning from reptile, bird and other small animal groups READ HERE.

Against the logical argument of PIJAC USA (which is the association for the pet industry in the USA), the American Kennel Club and Federal Regulators, the activists set up the Californian governor to sign into law a bill banning pets from pet shops, and giving shelters and rescues a monopoly over retail pet sales.

The NSW government, on the other hand, stated bluntly that they will not be banning pets from pet shops as “such a move would simply cement the role of the unregulated internet sources of dog and cat supply”. This strong statement from a government MP at the DPI Pet Shop and Breeder Code of Practice Consultation session on December 1 was welcomed by all pet industry representatives and other associations present, plus the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and Ministerial Adviser.

This is in stark contrast to Victoria, which actually wants unregulated dog and cat supply as the major source of puppies and kittens for Victorians.

Activists are already hailing a new Californian law as the wedge they need to get rid of pet ownership.

Under pressure from well funded activist groups, the Californian governor has passed a law banning all except shelter dogs/cats from pet shops, in spite of a well fought campaign by the USA pet industry association, who appeared powerless to fight these activists.

BUT shelters aren’t intending to supply!

Now that they have a monopoly on pet supply, many shelters have announced they will refuse to supply pet shops. There aren’t enough shelter pets to supply to USA pet shops even if they were going to supply – USA shelters are already importing dogs from Central American countries.

To make matters worse, the dog breeding scene in the USA is entirely unregulated, with no AAPDB or Dogs Vic/NSW etc to impose standards, no Codes of Practice for Breeding, and no inspection of breeding premises. Consumers will be left on their own. Shoddy breeders will prevail.

WHERE is the rationale that says that a person can buy deadly drugs, alcohol and tobacco from regulated retail outlets,  but not a family pet? WHERE are the welfare benefits from removing any form of positive enforced regulation on dog and cat breeding and sale?

There aren’t any. This is populist rhetoric dressed up in fake news about puppy farms. Watch those same activists strike at Australia.

Click See the news on the California Bill