Government flags tougher penalties for animal cruelty including jail time for leaving dogs in hot cars

DOG owners tempted to leave their pet in the car when they run to the shops, will soon risk tougher penalties.

The State Government is delivering on its election promise to review the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (POCTAA), flagging heavier fines and longer jail sentences.

Minister for Agriculture, Regional and Western NSW, Tara Moriarty, said the proposed changes “mark the most significant reform to the state’s animal welfare laws in years, delivering modern legislation that reflects contemporary community expectations.”

Changes include offences for leaving dogs in hot vehicles, tougher animal fighting laws and banning painful prong collars.

According to Animal Welfare League NSW CEO, Stephen Albin, the package addresses some of the worst examples of animal cruelty.

“Our inspectors spend a lot of time educating people about animal welfare, but the new laws provide much-needed new powers to deal with the worst cases and offenders.”

More than 7,000 submissions were received during a period of stakeholder consultation, leading to the following proposed measures:

—strengthening animal fighting offences to support NSW Police in addressing their links to organised crime and addressing potential loopholes

—new offences, including leaving a dog unattended in a hot vehicle; using or possessing prong collars, which are a discredited and painful dog training tool that is currently illegal to import; and possessing glue traps, which are already illegal to set in NSW

—strengthening enforcement powers and penalties to send clear signals to perpetrators of animal cruelty

—removing barriers to humane intervention in critical situations, allowing POCTAA inspectors to administer pain relief to animals where necessary and allowing appropriately trained Local Land Services personnel to euthanise animals in emergencies.

The changes build on reforms that have included banning puppy farms; increasing funding to approved charitable organisations to carry out animal welfare enforcement activities; and preventing people convicted of animal cruelty from keeping and breeding animals.

The Government expects to present a Bill to Parliament in the first half of the year.