From 1 July 2019, if you are selling or giving away kittens, cats, puppies or dogs, you must include an identification number in any advertisements.

The identification number can be either:

• Microchip number
• Breeder identification number OR
• Rehoming organisation number

This new rule applies regardless of the ff:

• Age of the animal
• Place you plan to advertise
• Whether you are a hobby or professional breeder – your cat or dog has had an accidental or one-off litter
• Whether or not you bred the animal
• Animal you are selling or rehoming has been born yet.

If you advertise a cat or dog for sale from 1 July 2019, and don’t use an identification number, or you falsify a number, you could be issued with an on-the-spot fine or face court, where a maximum penalty of $5,500 applies.

The changes help people looking to buy a cat or dog search the NSW Pet Registry to see the animal’s:
• Breed
• Sex
• Age
• Whether it is desexed
• Whether or not it is already registered
• Whether any annual permit is in place (from 1 July 2019).

A breeder identification number search will also display any business name listed in the Registry. This enables buyers to do further research and make informed purchasing decisions. It also helps to promote responsible cat and dog breeding and selling. Over time, NSW enforcement agencies will be able to use this information to identify ‘problem’ breeders to enforce animal welfare laws. In order for these changes to be effective, it is really important that pet owners keep information in the NSW Pet Registry up to date. Cat and dog owners can easily create an online profile to help ensure they are reunited with their pet if it becomes lost.

The Registry allows owners, buyers and sellers to update contact details, report missing pets, change pet ownership, and pay the lifetime registration fee. Cat and dog breeders are also encouraged to have an online profile. A breeder identification number will be generated which can be used to easily register litters and transfer the animals to their new owners. This breeder identification number can also be used as an identification number in advertisements. You can learn more about the new rules by visiting the NSW website.

To update your details in the
NSW Pet Registry, CLICK HERE.

The WA government is asking for consultation on their “Welfare of Dogs” paper, which is incredibly broad. The WA government is engaged in a “Puppy Farming” push in association with animal activists as an election promise, and pet industry members should engage on these consultations. NUMBERS OF SUBMISSIONS MATTER so feel free to distribute to colleagues.

You can submit directly, or submit to Pets Australia for inclusion in the Pets Australia industry response, or both.

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO THE DOCUMENTS AND TO MAKE YOUR SUBMISSION

In spite of hysterical claims from other groups, the Australian Senate Committee on Pet the Food industry is so mild as to be only barely useful. Business planning will be affected as proposed regulation has given way to a series of Recommendations designed to use current consumer law to manage complaints, and implement a “watch and act” regime – surrounded by lots of “important sounding” words.

The recommendations HAVE NOT yet been adopted by the government, so in the end, nothing may happen at all!

In Summary, the Recommendations are:

1. Post the “Standard for the Manufacture and Marketing of Pet Food” on a government website.
2. • A. Form a Working Group to consider making FSANZ (Australian Food Standards group) include Pet Food
   • B. Draft a pet food safety policy framework for consideration by a Ministerial group
3. The proposed Working Group review the Australian Standard in (1) above
4. ACCC should make the Standard in (1) above mandatory
5. AVA should improve its reporting system under PetFAST, with ACCC.
6. ACCC should have a section on its website to help consumers report pet food problems
7. States and territories should have consumer education programs and have an investigation system.

In essence, the report largely maintains the “status quo” but has better reporting mechanisms. Much will depend on WHO is appointed to the Working Group.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO MY BUSINESS?

a) If you are manufacturing pet food and treats, aim to maintain the highest standards of quality and complaints investigation. Pets Australia can help with the latter.

b) LEARN about how pet food is regulated and your consumer rights. If it doesn’t say “COMPLETE FEED” or “MEETS AAFCO STANDARDS” don’t feed it to your pet. If you have a problem with a pet
food or treat, REPORT IT.

c) EDUCATE your clients. Use the client handout we have prepared for you. HERE

Copyright : lightwise

“With the warm weather now in play and the high season for ticks, the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is encouraging pet owners to talk to their veterinarian now about ways to prevent serious harm or death from toxic ticks.” – AVA Media Release

Click HERE to read more from AVA

A fake website, OzFreeAds, is scamming your clients and you can help them avoid the scam.

Copyright : Aleksey Shirmanov

Pretending to offer a wide variety of goods, but actually “pushing” cute puppies, the office has been contacted by a number of people in trouble. A quick search of the site shows mis-spelled breed names, and going into an ad and clicking “see all this advertiser’s ads” brings up a wide variety of puppies all from the one advertiser.

One member sent through her discussion with the scammer – which really “gives the game away”

READ THE EXCHANGE HERE.

WARNING TO BREEDER MEMBERS – your legitimate photos are being used by these scammers to sell fake puppies and some scammers are even associating them with your business names. This brings your business name into disrepute and can put you out of business altogether. Learn how to use Tineye or other software to stop your photos being used without your knowledge. For more information on Tineye, contact the office

kukiat / 123RF Stock Photo” src=”https://petsaustralia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/37167412_l-300×200.jpg” alt=”” width=”218″ height=”145″> Copyright : Kukiat Boontoung

It’s OK to put your granny into intensive housing, but not a dog? Pets Australia has submitted to the consultation group. WA’ans don’t seem to realise the consequences of this “just follow the eastern states” agenda or the association with intensive housing for people,  and we are following up.

READ HERE to see the submission.

• ‘STOP PUPPY FARMING’ PUBLIC CONSULTATION – Letter
• ‘STOP PUPPY FARMING’ – Public Submission Form

The WA government wants legislation to register all breeders, register dog OWNERS, register dogs, forced desexing, a permit to breed a litter, regulating litter numbers, and ban pet shops. The outcome will be predictable – no enforcement, banning of good operators and handing the market to scum breeders, and families not owning pets. It’s being driven by vegan anti-animal activist groups who have taken over control of Labor party policy on companion animals and have hijacked the Minister as they did in Victoria. HELP YOUR WA COUSINS, PROTEST NOW!

Read and comment on the idiotic proposals here!

Oatmeal isn’t as safe as you might think! Everyone knows that Oatmeal is “soothing” and “gentle” , right? That’s why it’s included in everything from soaps to shampoos to ear cleaners. For some angry skins, it can be “soothing” and reduce redness and irritation.

BUT oatmeal is also an allergen. Animals and humans who are prone to allergies can develop allergy to oatmeal, and it’s relatively common. Like all allergies, it usually develops over time with multiple exposures, with the reaction getting worse each time.

The oatmeal allergy is associated with:  

• Skin irritation and redness, including in the ear (for oatmeal ear cleaners)
• Itching and scratching, which can be severe
• Hair loss
• Licking and chewing skin
• Thickening and ulceration of skin in long standing cases
• In some cases, other symptoms including breathing difficulty, red and swollen eyes, and sneezing

HERE’S THE PROBLEM.   For most of these symptoms, groomers and even some veterinarians would recommend oatmeal shampoos, ear cleaners or other oatmeal products!

HERE’S WHAT TO DO – Don’t throw out your oatmeal yet! Oatmeal products can still be soothing and give the coat a lovely texture. So do this:

1. Only use oatmeal products when there is a reason. Don’t use them for general use, but use when there is red or angry skin with no past history of oatmeal use
2. Monitor after use. If you use an oatmeal product, ask the client when they present again whether the oatmeal treatment you used last time helped.
3. Be sensitive to the issue of potential oatmeal allergy. If a client reports “red skin” or “scratching” after you have used oatmeal don’t take chances – mark that pet’s record as NO OATMEAL. After all, YOU are legally responsible if you continue to use oatmeal products when you know the pet might be allergic
4. Refer animals to appear to have skin reactions to oatmeal to a vet for allergy testing. You may have to provide this article to the veterinarian because oatmeal product producers are NOT telling their clients about this risk.
5. BE CAREFUL YOURSELF! Groomers get oatmeal allergies just like animals. A dog might see an oatmeal shampoo only once every couple of months, but a groomer might be exposed 10 times per day! If your hands become red or blotchy and itch after oatmeal product use, consider switching to other products. Tell other groomers about this issue, we are all part of an industry and quality, science-based knowledge is power!

Reckon your dog has control over you? Yep! A new study demonstrates that dogs alter their facial expressions when you are paying attention to them; and that these facial expressions are deliberate and an attempt to communicate with the human. Remember that association next time you get that “sad puppy” face!

CLICK here for study

A Bill banning pets in retail is in the hands of the Governor of California to pass or veto. The same activists are using the same lobbying techniques against the pet industry around the world to try to have all except “not for profit” pound animals (including rabbits) in pet retail – BUT there is no indication that the pounds will provide animals.  Pounds stand to make MUCH more money as monopoly providers of pets. Activists continue to try and make an association between substandard breeders and pet retail – a link that has NEVER been proven.

There is plenty of evidence that all this approach does is deny families the pets that they choose,  as a result of which affected families simply choose not to have a pet –  which is exactly what the activists want.

Because USA policy tends to also rebound into Australian parliaments, particularly Victoria. We have written to the Governor CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LETTER.