Homes needed for more than 250 puppies after closure

ABC NEWS (Australia)

More than 250 labradoodles are looking for new homes after the RSPCA shut down one of Tasmania’s largest dog breeders. The news has prompted an outpouring of public support as the organisation sets out to find the dogs new homes.

Transcript

00:00This is Oscar. He's enjoying his new home.

00:05Oscar needs lots of love and I have lots of love to give.

00:11Oscar was rescued from a labradoodle breeding facility in northern Tasmania earlier this month.

00:17I've literally been waiting for Oscar to come and he came about 10 days ago and he's been a joy to have ever since.

00:26Last year RSPCA Tasmania charged Tasmanian labradoodles with 70 counts of overbreeding.

00:33Now the business owners Elizabeth Ann Bartlett and her husband Paul have signed an out-of-court agreement

00:40to immediately and permanently close its breeding facility in Epping Forest and surrender its dogs.

00:47All 250 of them now need new homes.

00:51They're a little bit smelly, they need a good groom but they're very happy, adaptable dogs.

00:58Some have also never had contact with a human.

01:01The RSPCA estimates it'll cost around $1,000 for each dog to be checked by a vet, vaccinated, trained and rehomed.

01:11There are no animals there in critical need but as far as ongoing genetic issues we do not have that measure as yet

01:18and we will help people as much as possible to manage that.

01:21After an outpouring of support RSPCA Tasmania has now closed expressions of interest for adopting the dogs.

01:29Under the terms of the settlement the RSPCA says it won't pursue the overbreeding charges against Tasmanian labradoodles.

01:37It says the agreement is a better outcome because the maximum penalty for the offence is too low to be an effective deterrent.

01:45There's a clause in the agreement to say that the owners of Tasmanian labradoodles cannot set up another business.

01:51They can't even work for a breeding facility so there can be no phoenixing of this operation.

01:56The RSPCA is calling for the Tasmanian government to strengthen laws protecting dogs.

02:02The government says it's currently reviewing animal welfare regulations.

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