Submission on draft Dog and Cat Management (Breeder Reforms) Amendment Bill 2024

While we support the state government’s aim to regulate the breeding of dogs and cats through a proposed breeder licensing scheme, our submission cautions that compliance for animal welfare should not be regulated by local government.

There is potential overlap between animal management and animal welfare, the line where the new breeder provisions cross into animal welfare matters needs to be better defined.

Breeder reforms must be administered and funded by the state government, either through existing fees provided by breeder licensing applications or state funds, rather than income from dog and cat registrations.

LGA has always advocated for maintaining clear separation between dog and cat management issues and animal welfare issues.

The remit of the Dog and Cat Management Board should be limited to dog and cat management and not expanded into animal welfare matters.

Download LGA's Submission

Key recommendations

Our submission to the draft Dog and Cat Management (Breeder Reforms) Amendment Bill 2024 recommends:

Dog registration fees

• Reduce the percentage of dog registration fees given to the State Government’s Dog and Cat Management Board to 10% for all councils.
• Ensure registration fees charged are devoted to dog and cat management issues to benefit local communities.

Dog and Cat Management Board

• The Dog and Cat Management Board should clearly explain its proposed budget and annual plan and provide better lead time to allow for local government feedback as part of the consultation process.

Cat management laws

• Introduce state-wide cat management laws to ensure consistency across councils. This should recognise the resource limitations and operational realities of regional councils in administering the Dog and Cat Management Act.

Microchipping and desexing  

• Close the loophole that exists for microchipping and desexing in the existing Dog and Cat Management Regulations which enable veterinarians and other microchip implanters to avoid Dogs and Cats Online recording obligations.

Next steps

The positions set out in LGA’s submission will provide the basis for ongoing advocacy with the Department for Environment and Water other members of parliament.

For more information, please contact:
andrew.lamb@lga.sa.gov.au