NT Animal Protection Act review

The AVA's submission to the 2024 review of the NT Animal Protection Act recommends a series of reforms to align the legislation with contemporary animal welfare standards. Key proposals include renaming the Act to the “Animal Welfare Act”, incorporating the concept of animal sentience with a formal definition, and establishing a “Duty of Care” provision to promote animal welfare. The AVA also advocates for expanding the definition of "animal" to include all live non-human vertebrates, cephalopods, and Malacostraca crustaceans.

Included in the submission was AVA support for stronger provisions for animals locked in vehicles and property entry in urgent animal welfare cases. The submission encourages proactive animal welfare monitoring programs, to ensure early intervention and education. Adoption of the AVA’s recommendations will bring NT legislation in line with best practices, ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare. The full AVA submission can be found here.