Making change
Breeder Permits
A new Breeder Permit system has been finalised and approved by Gold Coast City Council in April 2010.
This new Breeder Permit system requires people who have entire cross-bred or pure-bred cats or dogs for breeding purposes to apply for a permit and meet new Code of Practice standards for the care of breeding animals and their litters. These standards are required under the Local Laws. The aim is to improve animal welfare and management and reduce numbers of excess animals that are abandoned or killed.
Most importantly, anyone who breeds a litter of kittens will now be required to desex these kittens prior to sale or transfer. It is believed this is a first in Australia.
Breeders will also be required to publish their breeder permit number when advertising or selling their animals. This means that people wanting to adopt a pet will be able to determine whether the animal they are adopting has been sourced from a permitted breeder who is abiding by a government-legislated Code of Practice.
A marketing campaign in August/September 2010 will raise awareness of the new Breeder Permit system and the availability of targeted desexing subsidies, so people can avoid becoming unpermitted breeders. Eligible cat owners on concession cards, or with large numbers of cats, or experiencing financial difficulties will be able to desex their female cats for a payment of $40. In addition, participating vets will receive a subsidy to help cover costs. Special thanks to those vets who have agreed to be part of this community initiative to desex approximately 500 female cats. In addition, the desexing of male kittens will be available at reduced rates to eligible owners through the vets registered with the National Desexing Network. It is vital that these support networks are available to people who do not comply with the Breeder Permit system. For more information and other Desexing support visit (insert link to Breeders Permit and Desex Support Information Sheet and a more detailed Breeder Permit Q&A)
A Cat Smart Fencing Campaign has also been developed as part of the Gold Coast City Council Pilot Project to be launched by Gold Coast City Council and AWL Qld in 2010. This campaign, supported by breeders, pet industry and wildcare organisations, aims to reduce the numbers of stray cats. It will encourage all cat owners to keep their cats safe by keeping their cats in doors or by installing cat safe fencing or enclosures. A competition to win cat safe fencing will be launched as part of this campaign.
AWL Qld chaired the Gold Coast Companion Animal Stakeholder Coalition which worked as an advisory group meeting regularly with Gold Coast City Council to develop this new Breeder Permit system and Cat Safe Fencing Campaign. Thank you to all stakeholders who participated including representatives from Dogs Qld, Qld Feline Association, Qld Independent Cat Council, Little Paws Kitten Rescue Association, Council of Federated Cat Clubs of Qld Inc, RSPCA Qld, Wildcare Australia Inc, Wildlife Preservation Society, AVA Qld, Gold Coast Dog Obedience Training Club, and the Pet Industry Association of Australia.
This is one of four Queensland State Government Pilot Projects to identify effective strategies to reduce the numbers of unwanted cats and dogs being euthanased in Queensland.
Getting to Zero at AWL Qld
Since May 2009, i.e. for more than a year, no healthy, sociable Gold Coast dog or cat has been killed. Any healthy and sociable cat for whom there is no room, is fostered out to carers and specially promoted until they can be brought back to the Adoption pens or sold from the foster carer’s home. These cats are additional to the over 300 animals fostered out due to being under 8 weeks, or for treatable health or temperament issues.
The costs of running this enormous fostering program, providing veterinary care and developing and running marketing programs to get these extra cats rehomed means that AWL Qld has struggled financially to maintain the program.
Additional support from the community is needed to keep this program going. If you cannot offer a loving home to an extra cat (see our cats on our website), please consider a donation. It costs on average of $400 to provide a fostering program, veterinary and on-site care for each of fostered animal while they wait for a home. To fully support a cat in a foster home or provide part of their extra care, please donate on line through the DONATE TAB on the top RHS of the home page on this website. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
Getting to Zero around Australia
Due to AWL Qld’s successes with reducing euthanasia rates, the Elsie Cameron Foundation offered its support to AWL Qld to take its Getting to Zero Model (link) to other places in Australia.
There has been an initial focus on Hobart, Tasmania with the development of the Hobart Community Vet Clinic, modelled on the Gold Coast Community which should be completed by August.
An intensive free Desexing Campaign in Hobart in December 2009, was funded by the Elsie Cameron Foundation and run by AWL Qld veterinarians at the RSPCA Veterinary Clinic. After consultation about the Getting to Zero model, RSPCA Tasmania has adopted this model and is progressing with a new CEO, and a new vet to ensure the Community Vet Clinic provides effective services to increase desexing in Tasmania.
A grant has been provided to the Tasmanian Canine Defence League to develop a Foster Care Program to save more dogs.
Other projects are being developed with shelters and Councils who have expressed interest in adopting the Getting to Zero Model. A Getting to Zero (G2Z) website and workshops are also in development.