Most of us consider our pet to be a precious little life that needs to be loved and cared for, but one Australian state has gone ahead and finally acknowledged animal sentience lawfully.
The Australian Capital Territory government has put new laws into action this week. The state is the first in Australia to lawfully recognise animals as ‘sentient beings’, and new legislation says that animals deserve to be ‘treated with compassion’ and have a quality of life that ‘reflects their intrinsic value’.
What does the legislation mean?
These laws now mean that any dog owner can now be fined on-the-spot up to $4000 for not walking their dog at least once per day, or for forcing the dog to live in a confined space that restricts freedom of movement, such as being tied up.
The law also states that is a dog is confined without the ability to exercise adequately for 24 continuous hours, the owner must then take them to exercise for the next two hours.
However, if the animal has plenty of room to run around and exercise, owners would not face punishment. Similar fines also apply if owners cannot supply appropriate food, shelter and water.
You can view the new legislation HERE.
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