Victoria’s cats and dogs in need of rehoming may be getting a better chance of finding their forever home now that the Taskforce on Rehoming Pets has handed down its final report.
Minister for Agriculture, Mary-Anne Thomas said she established the Taskforce in March last year, charged with the task of providing recommendations to improve the rehoming of dogs and cats in the State, including those used in medical research.
In its Final report to the Victorian Government, the Taskforce said it had undertaken an extensive consultation process, which included a community consultation survey; site visits and meetings with organisations and representatives from Victoria’s rehoming sector; written submissions from animal welfare organisations; and sector-focused roundtables and community webinars.
“The consultation process provided the Taskforce with a clear understanding of the opportunities to improve rehoming activities in Victoria, as well as the many challenges faced by those involved in this work,” the Taskforce said.
It said there was wide support for regulation of the pet rehoming sector and many rehoming groups were committed to co-designing regulatory reforms with Government to improve the sector’s operating environment and promote better animal welfare outcomes.
The Taskforce said challenges for the sector included prominent and contrasting positions on animal euthanasia; demand for Government assistance to meet costs associated with rehabilitating and rehoming pets; difficulty accessing specialised care services; and demand for rehoming services was limiting the sector’s ability to collaborate effectively.
It made 17 recommendations to support the welfare of dogs and cats requiring rehoming, including improvements to the regulatory framework for rehoming pets; increased transparency in the movement of animals; better reporting of data; and grants to support the pet rehoming sector.
The Taskforce’s 27-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
