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RESIDENTS planning to give away or sell a dog or cat on the peninsula
must now desex the animal or face stiff penalties under new local laws
that come into force on Friday.
Mornington Peninsula Council last week became the first municipality in
Victoria to require dogs and cats to be compulsorily desexed. Under the
new local law, all cat owners are required to desex their pets at three
months of age.
Anyone giving away or selling a dog or cat must also desex them before
doing so. Only pet shops, registered breeders and members of cat or dog
clubs will be exempt from the new laws.
Owners of animals aged over 10 and unlikely to breed will also be
exempt.
Residents wishing to breed from their pet must apply to the council for
a permit.
Penalties for those who contravene the new law are a $500 fine for a
first offence, rising to $1000 for second or subsequent offences.
The council's manager of environment protection John Rankine said while
the new law comes into force on Friday, residents would be allowed time
to adjust before the council began handing out penalties. ``There must
be a period of grace. We are looking at a community-awareness program
stretching for the next nine to 12 months,'' he said.
Mr Rankine said more than 100 public submissions had been received on
the issue, most of which were in support of the move.
He said the main aim of the new law was to remove the ``inadvertent''
breeding of animals, especially cats.
The move was welcomed by animal welfare organisations.
Lost Dogs Home managing director Dr Graeme Smith said he strongly
supported the new law. ``It will stop backyard breeders who are a real
problem,'' he said.
``If you introduce a law 80 per cent of people will follow it. People
will generally do the right thing.''
Mr Smith said compulsorily desexing cats and dogs would result in fewer
unwanted pets. ``If we get more animals desexed, we're going to have
fewer animals coming into shelters and pounds as strays,'' he said.
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