Read LFA’s position here: Submission on draft Poultry Standards.

Read about LFA’s position here: Animal law enforcement an ongoing battle for NFPs

Tickets can now be purchased up until 5pm on Wednesday, 17 May 2017!

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We hope you’ll join us at our second annual Law Week Trivia Night, to enjoy a fun evening in good company, test your general knowledge and raise money for Edgar’s Mission and Pets Haven, a couple of hard-working animal rescue charities who desperately need it.

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The Animal Law Breakfast 2017 RSVP has been extended to 4pm Wednesday 5 April (or until sold out). Limited tickets remain, so act quickly!

You’re warmly invited to attend our fourth Animal Law Breakfast 2017 – see flier attached – for which we are (once again) very grateful to have the generous sponsorship of Maddocks. For those not yet aware, the delicious vegan breakfasts provided by Maddocks’ catering have become legendary within LFA!

This year, with the help of two highly influential speakers in this area

•  Lizzie Blandthorn MP, Ambassador for Animal Welfare (Victoria); and
•  Dr. Liz Walker, Chief Executive Officer, RSPCA Victoria;

we aim to progress an answer to the question: ‘How can we best improve animal cruelty law enforcement?’

In hopes that you are able join us, here are the event details:

WHEN?    Thursday 6 April: 7.15am registration – 7.30am brekkie – 8.00am speeches begin – 8.45am close
WHERE?  Maddocks: Collins Square – Tower 2, Level 25, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne
COST?     $22 or $16 for current LFA members and concession holders (includes $1.50 booking fee)
RSVP       by 4pm Monday 27 March via: http://tix.yt/alb2017

If you have time to read on… by way of background, the theme of our Animal Law Breakfast is quite topical. It coincides with the current ‘Inquiry into RSPCA Victoria’ by a Victorian Parliamentary Standing Committee [submissions close 31 March, see: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/eic/article/3130]. It also comes just a few months after the Independent Review of the RSPCA Victoria Inspectorate – prompted by public outrage over handling of the Bulla horse cruelty case – handed down its final report in October 2016 [see: http://www.rspcavic.org/services/inspectorate/independent-review].

Lawyers for Animals made submissions to both Inquiries advocating three key reforms:

1. Creation of a dedicated Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad (or similar) within Victoria Police (modelled on New York City’s successful transition from charitable to public law enforcement).
2. Creation of an Office of Animal Welfare within the Department of Justice to oversee the Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad and fulfill many functions of the former Bureau of Animal Welfare, keeping it independent from the Department of Agriculture.
3. Removal of RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate powers and funding, permitting it to refocus on animal care and to engage in public advocacy for animal welfare without any perceived of conflict of interest (again modelled on New York City’s successful transition, spearheaded by their American SPCA).

You may read our rationale for seeking these reforms in each of our submissions, here:
http://lawyersforanimals.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/LFA-RSPCA-indepndnt-review-subn-08-07-16.pdf
http://lawyersforanimals.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/LFA-RSPCA-Vic-Govt-subn-060317.pdf

Unfortunately, the Independent Review’s report neither addressed our submissions nor mentioned the New York model of public animal cruelty law enforcement. We are hopeful that the Victorian Government Inquiry will give this model the consideration we feel it deserves, and that RSPCA Victoria may also come to recognise and embrace – as the American SPCA in New York did – the benefits of transitioning to a public law enforcement model, both for themselves and for the animals we all wish to protect.

We hope to see you at the Animal Law Breakfast. Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you think may be interested. The capacity of the event is limited to 80, so please book early to maximise your chance of securing a seat.

If you have any queries, please email: enquiries@lawyersforanimals.org.au

Read LFA’s submission to the Victorian State Government’s inquiry into RSPCA Victoria here. Submission are being accepted until 31 March 2017. For more information about making a submission please follow this link: Inquiry into the RSPCA Victoria – submissions.

Read LFA’s Submission on the Draft Action Plan: Improving the Welfare of Animals in Victoria 2016 – 2021 here.

Read our latest submissions regarding:

1. The Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Management Plan Review;
2. The Productivity Commission inquiry into the Regulation of Agriculture;
3. The RSPCA Independent Review; and
4. The Control of Invasive Animals on Crown Land.

Read about LFA’s position here: Call for new animal cruelty authority in Victoria