The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has ruled that KKK puppy farm can keep their dogs in the raised wire cages we uncovered over a year ago. It is now officially acceptable to keep dogs the same way we keep battery hens. The dogs welfare is never mentioned in the report which can be viewed here. http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2009/2723.html?query=^kesper%20wellington%20shire The courts only concern it seemed was the size of the pens.
We filmed these animals in their cages, we handed over all the evidence to the authorities and pleaded with them to help these dogs and get them out of their cages. It didn’t work. The dogs were never removed from their cages, they were simply left there. The owner of the puppy farm, Kelly Kesper, has continued to breed these dogs and sell their puppies over the internet. Kelly uses a variety of names, a ploy to trick the buyers of her puppies. These dogs will now continue to live their lives in their cages simply to make Kelly money.
Dogs in Australia are no longer deemed companion animals, they are primary producers. Puppy farmers can neglect them to the point that they live in pain with infections, matted fur, rotten teeth, prolapsed uterus’s and confine them with electric wire or throw them in a cage like a battery hen. They live a life of fear, suffering, neglect and when they can no longer produce they are killed.
Its a sad day for animals when puppy farmers are legally able to abuse and neglect their animals and the activists that risk everything to save the animals and highlight their suffering are treated as the criminal.
Please keep spreading the word to never buy a puppy from a pet shop or over the internet. Its not the politicians or their useless legislation that will make the difference. Legislation will never work, it’s the power of the consumer that will ultimately free the hundreds of thousands of dogs hidden away on Australia’s puppy farms. GO TO A POUND, SHELTER OR RESCUE GROUP FOR YOUR NEXT COMPANION ANIMAL AND PUT THE PUPPY FARMERS OUT OF BUSINESS.
This is just awful and to difficult to comprehend. The law does not recognise that these animals are capable of suffering
BOYCOTT PET SHOPS AND DOGS SOLD OVER THE INTERNET
this is sickening
Oh my goodness, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. We should starting writing to the likes of Derryn Hinch on 3AW or Neil Mitchell and any one else who will listen. VCAT has so much power it is a total disgrace.
Who’s looking after the animals ?
Shame on VCAT
This tragic decision is just one more botched example of the increasingly lack of any control or concern for matters involving the rights of animals.
VCAT has a long record of such decisions and numerous others where local government councils have refused large scale breeding permits only to have such decisions overturned by the clearly out of touch VCAT administrators; and often with total disregard and/or ignorance for other Victorian planning and Animal legislation.
Government at logger heads with itself at the tax payer’s expense.
I encourage all to do as I have done, protest loudly in writing to the Victorian Premier, the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, the Victorian Attorney General and VCAT itself.
I have just emailed Derryn Hinch and cut and pasted the report above and also given this website, like I said in the email I am not affiliated with any organisation but it is getting close if VCAT can be allowed to get away with this madness. Start writing to those that might act and Derryn Hinch is one of the top people in the industry and is not scared to act if he feels it is worthwhile.
This is appalling and proves that the legal status of non-human animals is so low as to motivate the court to condone the extreme cruelty committed by Kelly Kesper of KKK kennels.
BLEATS might be interested in this irresponsible decision made by heartless and ignorant judiciary who fail to link the dots that connect the perpetrators of animal cruelty with harmful social behaviour.
Very good idea Jane - I have now emailed to BLEATS.
I have also emailed the Department of Primary Industries, Animal Welfare and Breeding Establishment people.
Those poor dogs… when I look at my own (rescue) dog and imagine her confined in one those cages, even for a few hours, I am utterly enraged.
However, unlike Debrah Tranter (the author of the article) and some of the comments left on this page, my principal concern is not VCAT’s decision, but the deplorable standards of care provided by the ‘Code of practice for the operation of breeding and rearing establishments’ (2004), which VCAT is obliged to apply.
This and other Victorian animal Codes of Practice can be read at:
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfa.nsf/LinkView/E1AF1D71AF607629CA256D780013EFCE51F52E6260BC77B8CA2572B10008EED4
I’d like to see our mutual rage and activism directed at the Victorian Government which adopted this Code of Practice, and has the power to change it. The Minister directly responsible for this Code is Joe Helper, Minister for Agriculture and Animal Welfare, but all the Cabinet Ministers, including Premier Brumby, are ultimately behind it. Emails and letters to their offices, specifically commenting on parts of the Code, may help convince them that keeping dogs in cages is socially unacceptable, and more importantly in their eyes: politically unwise.
I don’t think our politicians will change existing laws and policies unless we, their constituents, push them to do so, and VCAT probably won’t make any better decisions, until the Code of practice is amended. Let’s be strategic in our fight. Talkback radio is also good, as it can alert others to the problem and the solution.
Nichola
I am someone who did not know about where pet shop puppies came from. I have however always believed that buying a dog is a lifetime decision. I and my family fell in love with my puppy in the pet shop window however my dog was definetly not a impulse buy. We have since confirmed that my dog has serious health problems and m My dog suffers daily (we are currently undergoing accupuncture seems to be helping ). When you get a pet it is till death do us part I believe, it means giving them the best possible life you can.
I was unaware of where my dog came from but now I believe her to be from one of these (so called farms). I call them hell hole’s and I am horrified to realise where my dog might have been born, the suffering of the mother and all the other prisoners stuck in the filth. What is wrong with VCAT that they can let this go on. As for these so called Breeders which is a joke more like BLEEDERS bleeding every drop of life out of these poor souls for the sake of their GREED. It seems to me that Dollars count innocent lives do not, Surly some one some where can stop this disgusting trade…..I now tell everyone. I know NOT TO BUY PUPPIES from PET shops and tell them to tell everyone they know. I show them pictures and word of mouth is powerfull, because I was one of the people who did not think this sort of thing went on in AUSTRALIA and the people I speak to are surprised too, my eyes are opened now and I will do my bloody hardest to open as many other eyes as possible
Beware that the trend seems to be towards stating that the puppy farm is different. they look after their animals and the animals are quality bred. they have fancy websites to convince the buyers that they are legit even stating they are registered with the local council. ACA now called Banksia has been stating this in the media down in Sale newspapers for years trying to convince the locals that they are a legitimate business and are a target for animal activists. They try and make themselves look good and the animal activists criminals even to the media and also to the local councillors. They’ve even stated that there is a “market” for puppies so why not breed up thousands! makes my blood boil to think that there are ignorant councillors who think this issue is not important right up to the top level which is government. just to think if this was the case with humans there would be an all out war but animals suffering like this, is not important!
i recently brought a pugalier through a friend that knows kelly, then i googled her name and was horrified wen i seen the footage. made me cry to see the conditions my poor baby pugalier was in before i got her..i now am letting everyone know where i got her from and what the kennel was involved in and telling popl not to buy from “battery farm dogs” i had no idea this was going on .. and if i had known i would have prob brought more puppies, but given kelly more reason to breed. i cant believe that the courts let them keep the pups in this condition… it makes me sick but im so glad i got my pugalier out of those conditions.