Animal 'Welfare' Legislation
The Animal 'Welfare' Act 2002
The Act that is supposed to protect animals but exempts those in greatest need.
Passed in 2002 in Western Australia, it is one of the more progressive acts in the country, providing heavier penalties for acts of cruelty towards animals. But there's a big loop hole that the vast majority of animals being abused in Australia fall right through.
A defence against a charge of cruelty under the Act is that a person has followed an industry code of practice. Therefore just by virtue of making a profit from cruelty to animals, animal industries get away with acts of abuse that if were done by an individual against an animal such as a cat or dog used as a companion would be prosecutable under the Act.
Codes of Cruelty
Each industry has a voluntary code of practice that outlines what is considered acceptable practice.
These codes are industry regulated and not legally enforceable. What's more - the practices that they allow are anything but for the 'welfare' of the animals involved. Following are some examples of every day accepted practice that directly contradict what would be prosecutable as an offence on the grounds of 'causing an animal unnecessary pain' and 'failing to provide adequate exercise'.
- The severe individual confinement of pregnant sows and mother pigs in sow stalls and farrowing crates.
- The inability to exercise and constant standing or lying on hard floors causing lameness, foot injuries, lesions and weakened bones.
- The docking of piglets' tails, clipping of their teeth, and castration of male piglets without anaesthetic.
- The severe confinement of hens in wire cages where they are unable to spread their wings, exercise or perform natural behaviours - resulting in physical and mental suffering.
- The debeaking of chicks where up to one half of the upper beak and one third of the lower beak are cut off to stop caged hens pecking each other.
- Confining up to 23 chickens per square metre in indoor sheds prior to slaughter.
- Causing harm and suffering to chickens by selective breeding and high growth feed which results in unnaturally rapid growth, bone deformities, fractures, hip dislocations, and diseases.
You can read these industry documents for yourself below.
Documents for Download
