Tuesday, 16 June 2026

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (22:03): (2586) My adjournment is for the Minister for Agriculture, and the action I seek is for the government’s intervention in the escalating animal welfare crisis, which I became acutely aware of when I visited the Lost Dogs’ Home in Cranbourne recently. The Lost Dogs’ Home in Cranbourne is overburdened, with diminishing support and increasing demand, and it has made a desperate plea for help. They also have a Lost Dogs’ Home in the North Melbourne area. They have done a survey recently, and 61 per cent of the pet owners seeking their help are living below the Australian poverty line, with 58 per cent delaying essential veterinary care because they simply cannot afford it.

The Lost Dogs’ Home is urgently calling for low-cost veterinary care for pet owners experiencing hardship, and it is difficult to see how any government committed to animal welfare and families could ignore that call. Ordinary families who do not have a concession or health care card are also having to part with their pets. I was there when a family of children were saying goodbye to their beautiful pet. It was the most beautiful dog and they were wonderful children, and it was clear that they did not want to part with their pet.

In the past five years the Lost Dogs’ Home has admitted 43,756 stray cats and kittens as well, with the intake increasing every year. In fact right now the increase in cats is a real problem for them. This is not fair. It is not sustainable. The Lost Dogs’ Home is seeking local and state-supported incentives to encourage the adoption of stray cats, including low-cost desexing, microchipping, vaccinations and reduced registration fees. These measures are practical and evidence based and would drastically reduce the burden on shelters and councils. Currently each council decides the fees, so there is no equity or uniformity around accessing lost pets. Some people pay more to recover their dogs or cats than others, depending on their council.

In 2024 alone 73,300 cats and dogs were admitted to Victorian pounds and shelters. The Lost Dogs’ Home is responsible for a quarter of that intake, supporting more than 18,000 animals every year. The dedicated staff eat outside without a dedicated indoor staff room, because they have run out of space, and they are doing the heavy lifting without the stable long-term support that such a role demands. I call on the minister to meet with the Lost Dogs’ Home as a matter of priority to establish a clear explanation of how it will address the escalating pressures they have identified. They are beautiful animals without owners or homes, and there are so many of them and they need our help.