Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Bills
Domestic Animals Amendment (Rehoming Cats and Dogs and Other Matters) Bill 2025
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Domestic Animals Amendment (Rehoming Cats and Dogs and Other Matters) Bill 2025
Council’s amendments
Message from Council relating to following amendments considered:
1. Clause 1, omit this clause.
2. Insert the following New Clause before clause 2 –
“1 Purposes
The purposes of this Act are –
(a) to amend the Domestic Animals Act 1994 –
(i) to provide for a voluntary authorisation scheme for pet rehoming organisations to assist those organisations to rehome dogs and cats; and
(ii) to further provide for Councils to be informed about animals in foster care in their municipal districts; and
(iii) to provide for the collection of information about the outcome of efforts to rehome dogs and cats; and
(iv) to clarify the powers of authorised officers in relation to entering premises for certain purposes; and
(v) to provide for other minor and related matters; and
(b) to amend the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 to provide that that Act does not prevent the placement and burial of animal remains in places of interment.”.
3. Clause 2, line 17, omit “2027” and insert “2028”.
4. Part heading preceding clause 5, omit “Pet” and insert “Voluntary pet”.
5. Clause 7, lines 3 and 4, omit “Pet rehoming organisations” and insert “Voluntary pet rehoming organisation authorisation scheme”.
6. Clause 7, page 10, lines 26 to 28, omit “domestic animal business (other than an animal shelter or Council pound)” and insert “rearing domestic animal business or pet shop”.
7. Clause 7, page 10, after line 28 insert –
“(3) In this section –
rearing domestic animal business means –
(a) a breeding domestic animal business; and
(b) a domestic animal business to which paragraph (e) of the definition of domestic animal business applies.”.
8. Clause 7, page 13, lines 21 to 23, omit “domestic animal business (other than an animal shelter or Council pound)” and insert “rearing domestic animal business or pet shop”.
9. Clause 7, page 14, after line 19 insert –
“(4) In this section –
rearing domestic animal business means –
(a) a breeding domestic animal business; and
(b) a domestic animal business to which paragraph (e) of the definition of domestic animal business applies.”.
10. Insert the following New Clause after clause 33 –
‘33A Persons who may inspect the information register
(1) Section 68U(2)(b) of the Principal Act is repealed.
(2) In section 68U(3) of the Principal Act omit “, (b)(ii)”.’.
11. Insert the following New Clauses after clause 37 –
‘37A Offence to disclose information
In section 100B(1) of the Principal Act (where twice occurring) omit “5B,”.
37B Permitted disclosures
In section 100C of the Principal Act (wherever occurring) omit “5B,”.’.
12. Clause 42, lines 2 to 10, omit all words and expressions on these lines and insert –
‘After section 68U(2)(b) of the Principal Act insert –
“(ba) for purchasing or obtaining from an authorised pet rehoming organisation, the source number of the pet rehoming organisation;”.’.
13. Clause 43, line 14, omit “Part 5BA” and insert “Part 5B, 5BA”.
14. Clause 44, lines 17 to 18, omit “Part 5BA” and insert “Part 5B, 5BA”.
15. Insert the following New Part after Part 6 –
‘Part 6A – Amendment of Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003
50A Power to make cemetery trust rules
After section 26(2)(g) of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 insert –
“(ga) the placement and burial of animal remains in places of interment;”.
50B New section 78A inserted
After section 78 of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 insert –
“78A Placement and burial of animal remains
Nothing in this Act prevents the placement and burial of animal remains in a place of interment.”.’.
16. Long title, after “dogs and cats” insert “and the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 in relation to the placement and burial of animal remains”.
That the amendments be agreed to.
The Victorian government is delivering on its commitment to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce on Rehoming Pets. We are supportive of amendments put forward by the Animal Justice Party in the other place, which provide further assurances to the pet rehoming sector about changes within the bill, such as extending the foster carer registration scheme for a further 12 months from the commencement of the authorisation scheme to allow more time for impacted foster carers to transition. Further, we are happy to support Ms Purcell’s amendment on pet burials, in acknowledgement of the very important role pets play in people’s lives, and that some people wish very much to have their pets remains buried with them. I thank all the pet rehoming organisations and others who have contributed and engaged on this bill. The government supports these amendments.
Emma KEALY (Lowan) (20:36): I have the opportunity to briefly speak on the amendments made in the Legislative Council, and I do appreciate that part of these amendments is to extend the operation of voluntary registration of foster carers for another two years. The Nationals and Liberals put forward an amendment to extend that indefinitely, so that both systems of registration of rehoming organisations could work in parallel with the registration of the foster carers. I still think that would be a better way to go, and if there is an opportunity in two years to review that, then I would urge the government of the day to consider that. I have been contacted by many, many foster carers who feel quite passionately about maintaining the opportunity for voluntary registration of foster carers, and their voice should be heard.
I do join the minister in thanking all of those who are involved in the care of animals who have been abandoned or who have not been able to find their forever home. I thank them for their work and their dedication to their pets, because they give so much. It is their passion. Many people dedicate their entire life to this and put every dollar towards caring for these animals, and I do greatly appreciate all that they do.
I would like to make a comment in regard to the amendments around the legislative changes which would enable people to be buried with their pets. I completely understand that there are people who care very deeply for their fur babies, and I can understand that this is something that is very, very important to so many Victorians. Given the short period of notice around this amendment, I feel that there was insufficient consultation with cemetery trusts. For those who live in rural and regional Victoria, they are very, very small groups, they are volunteers and they need additional support. I would ask the Minister for Agriculture to work with the Minister for Health to provide a guidance note to cemetery trusts, so that if there are unreasonable requests to be buried with, for example, multiple horses – it only can take one goat. If it is a burial of a whole pet as opposed to a cremated pet, I ask that explanatory note be given out to support our cemetery trusts.
Motion agreed to.
The ACTING SPEAKER (Paul Hamer): A message will now be sent to the Legislative Council informing them of the house’s decision.