Victorian Animal Shelters and their supporters are calling for the removal of a law unique to Victoria that results in the unnecessary deaths of healthy cats and dogs each year. Known within the animal welfare industry as the ’28 day rule’, this law restricts the time cats and dogs can be held for rehoming to four weeks from entry to the shelter. No such restriction applies to the holding of animals by pet shops, boarding or breeding facilities.
Progressive shelters employ a range modern programs and services to ensure the welfare of animals in their care. These include shelter enrichment, home based foster care and the use of volunteers to walk the dogs and socialise the kittens. Shelter staff are capable of making decisions about euthanasia on a case by case basis and often find it traumatic when required to destroy a dog or cat simply to comply with the ’28 day rule’.
More information about the ‘28 day rule’ can be found here.
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4 Responses to Calls for Removal of 28 Day Rule
where is a petition to sign to change this rule?
Or a letter we can write to the government?
Facebook is the 21st century petition. Over 2000 people have joined since we launched four days ago.
You can write to the Minister, Joe Helper, if you like. We been writing to him over the last 10 weeks but he hasn’t responded. We thought it was time for the wider community to get involved.
Please tell everyone you know about this issue and invite your friend to invite their friends to the Facebook page. When the campaign gets media attention phone the callback lines, write letters to the editor, spread the word.
With every Melbourne shelter calling for an end to the 28 day deadline there is no way the Government can justify to force shelters to kill animals that could otherwise go to a loving home. By putting the issue into the public arena they will not be able to ignore it anymore.
Can the staff at the shelters,who have suffered emotional trauma from having to euthanase animals because of this law,sue the vic government.
Someone needs to organise a petition. Letters to Ministers do not work. Perhaps people power can. This rule needs to be abolished. It’s so sad thinking about it.