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 advice, 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/

Mulesing

Mulesing is performed annually on over 20 million Australian Merino lambs. It involves taking a crescent-shaped slice of skin (5-7 cm) from either buttock (the ‘breach’) of a sheep, without anaesthetic, and results in abnormal behaviour for up to three days.

Despite industry’s promise to phase-out mulesing by 2010, many retailers throughout Europe have boycotted Australian wool due to overwhelming consumer concern.

More humane alternatives to surgical mulesing, such as intradermal injections prompting fleece to fall away from the breach (permanently) through a process of necrosis, are currently not receiving the support they require from Australia’s wool industry.


THE LAW

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