Despite the happiness we see in the lives of some companion animals, the stark reality for Australia’s less fortunate cats and dogs should not be overlooked.

Unrestricted breeding, poor identification and a lack of regulation of pet shops and ‘backyard breeders’ are just some of the problems leading to the deaths of nearly 200,000 ‘surplus’ cats and dogs in Australia each year.

Increased law enforcement in the areas of early de-sexing and identification (such as a point-of-sale registration scheme) coupled with better education about ‘impulse’ buying, would lead to a marked fall in the over-population of our cherished pet species.