A PUPPY welfare organisation will protest outside a Mt Lawley pet shop on Sunday.

Oscar’s Law wants “puppy factories” abolished and is targeting a Beaufort Street pet shop it claims flies in litters of puppies from “factories” in the eastern states for the Christmas rush. Puppy farms are big news in the eastern states, with new Victorian premier Dan Andrews campaigning heavily on a promise to outlaw them.

Oscar’s Law spokesperson Kerryn Wood say many pet shops in Perth do business with eastern states puppy factories.

“Oscar’s Law chooses to perform peaceful protests in the vicinity of pet shops to grow awareness and educate consumers about puppy factories,” she says.

“We are trying to take the market away from the puppy farmers and pet shops involved, and promote adoption.

“We urge all consumers who are considering purchasing a pet this Christmas to visit a shelter or a pound, to give one of these unwanted animals another chance”

Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker says the crackdowns in Victoria and Queensland mean more young pooches will end up in WA, sold through pet shops, markets and online sites like the Quokka: “Consumers should always check that the registration number for a puppy, which is sometimes provided by pet shops, online sites or newspapers is truly a DogsWest breeder registration number and not a ‘kennel licence number’,” she says.

“Kennel licences are just about having local council approval to breed dogs on a property, which is very different from a breeder registration.

“What consumers must demand is the breeder registration number, which is issued through DogsWest.”

Oscar’s Law wants to abolish factory farming of companion animals, and ban the sale of companion animals from pet shops and via online ads.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK