AVA Submission on the Animal Care and Protection Bill 2022

The AVA welcomes the opportunity to input into the State Development and Regional Industries Committee Inquiry into the Animal Care and Protection Bill 2022. The Animal Care and Protection Act (ACPA) is essentially an excellent Act and the first in Australia to include duty of care provisions as well as cruelty. Continuous improvement is the hallmark of excellence, and the AVA welcomes the opportunity to review how it can be improved. 

The AVA has been involved in the review of this legislation over recent years and is pleased to see the Bill as the outcome of this review and consultation process. 

Many of the recommendations and contributions that the AVA has made throughout the review process have been adopted in the resulting Bill before Parliament. As such, we are broadly in support of the Bill. 

Below we focus on a number of key areas where we seek to provide further input for the consideration of the Committee and the Parliament.

• Euthanising sick or injured animals by veterinary surgeons
• Approved cattle procedures accreditation schemes (spaying and pregnancy testing)
• Meaning of veterinary science and use of animals for scientific purposes

Read the full submission here.