GREENS CALL FOR STRONGER ANIMAL CRUELTY PENALTIES

Petition With Over 6000 Signatures Support Stronger Penalties to be Handed Down

The Tasmanian Greens today tabled a petition containing over 6000 signatures and called on the Labor and Liberal parties to support amendments to the Animal Welfare Act 1993 to encourage stronger penalties are for people who mistreat animals.

Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said there needs to be reform to the Act to ensure higher penalties are delivered, but also to introduce prevention methods such as removing an offender’s right to keep or care for animals.

“A petition was collected with over 6000 signatures which offers a clear message from the community that animal cruelty is not acceptable on any level,” Ms O’Connor said.

“Recently a man was arrested for animal cruelty after his starved his border collie, Wags, to death. A sentence was handed down with a fine of $432 which equates to just under 4 penalty units out of a possible 100 that the Act allows.”

“Some members of the community feel that they can mistreat animals, and there is no incentive not to re-offend or offend a first time when a penalty provided is not even 4% of the possible penalty available.”
“If we were to introduce minimum penalties as well as maximum penalties for cruelty against animals, magistrates would have a much clearer mandate for stronger sentencing, which will provide better incentives to community members not to mistreat animals,” Ms O’Connor said.
Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson