Free Legal Clinic

A joint initiative between Lawyers for Animals and Fitzroy Legal Service, the Animal Protection Legal Clinic (APLC) provides free legal assistance where the individual’s legal interests coincide with those of at least one animal, reflecting the clinic’s primary focus on improving animal welfare.

This service is intended for those who are unable to afford private legal assistance, and all appointments are subject to eligibility criteria.
You can call the Fitzroy Legal Service booking line on (03) 9419 3744; or
Submit an enquiry to request an appointment:
https://fls.org.au/enquiry-form/

OTHER SOURCES OF ANIMAL LAW ADVICE

People in Victoria, Australia, who need legal advice because they have purchased a dog or cat from a breeder and then discovered that the animal has an underlying health condition, should contact The Animal Law Institute – see: https://www.ali.org.au/legal-advice

People in Victoria, Australia, seeking other animal law advice, but who cannot afford to pay for it, are recommended to contact their local Community Legal Centre, which may be found via a search on this page: https://www.fclc.org.au/find_a_community_legal_centre

People in Victoria, Australia who are seeking animal law advice in the interests of an animal (or animals) and who can potentially afford to pay for it, may call Lawyers for Animals solely for referral advice: 0423 659 042. Note: no legal advice can or will be given during these calls.

People in Australia who are seeking animal law advice but don’t fall into either of the categories, above, are referred to this list of Animal Law Services – one non-fee-charging, the remainder fee-charging – kindly provided by Voiceless, the Animal Protection Institute [but not updated since 2021]: https://voiceless.org.au/animal-law/animal-law-services/

Companion Animals

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.


THE LAW

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