Parliamentary inquiry called into puppy factories

The Nationals MP whose electorate has seen four puppy farms raided during the past six months has been named as the chair of the parliamentary inquiry into puppy breeding practices.

Northern Tablelands MP, Adam Marshall, has seen evidence of more than 500 puppies living in squalor on farms described as "inhumane and abhorrent" after a series of farms were uncovered by animal rights group Oscars Law and Fairfax Media since October last year.

At one farm in Armidale the vet who attended the site reported a "barely conscious female terrier being attacked and dragged around by a pack of dogs after her intestines had been eviscerated".

Other farms in Inverell and Copeton have followed, with one farm found to be housing 375 dogs in squalid conditions, and at another farm a dog had been placed inside a dog food bag and left there to rot.

In two separate investigations in January and May, Fairfax Media tracked the dogs living in the atrocious conditions to ads for "beautiful labradoodle puppies" and "red ruby cavoodle pups". 

Mr Marshall has been privately lobbying within the government for a crackdown on puppy farms since October, demanding his former minister for primary industries, Katrina Hodgkinson launch an investigation. At the time he suggested that the government could overhaul the current animal welfare system and look at establishing a separate agency to monitor these [puppy farm] operations, who "need to have the book thrown at them".

While Mr Marshall has been lobbying with the government, pressure has also been mounting from outside the Coalition to take meaningful action since the election, after Labor announced that it would ban puppies from pet stores, where the majority of farmed puppies are sold. 

Mr Marshall said he was looking forward to the committee "getting down to business" when it sits for the first time on Thursday.

"We are going to have a long hard look at the animal breeding industry in NSW, to strengthen the NSW government's approach to puppy factories and to eliminate rogue operators". 

The current legislation has been described as weak by the head of RSPCA NSW,  Steven Coleman, as there are no legal requirements for these establishments to be registered.

Debra Tranter, the founder of Oscar's Law also criticised the ambiguity of the Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which meant that more than 100  dogs were left at a property last year despite evidence of dogs living in freezing conditions and widespread illness and malnutrition. The owner, Jennifer Frazer, had also been previously charged with three counts of aggravated animal cruelty and four charges of failing to provide veterinary treatment.

Ian Hughes, an inspector for the Animal Welfare League, has called on the NSW government to create legislation that would require regular inspection and a licensing system.

"At the moment you can buy yourself 100 dogs and get yourself going as a dog breeder tomorrow," he said.

Ms Tranter said that she was thrilled that Mr Marshall and Animal Justice party representative Mark Pearson were both on the committee. "These two have been so close to the issue for so long that I know they will do a thorough job".

She said the inquiry should seek to emulate Victorian and ACT legislation, where puppy farms are illegal.

Mr Marshall said the committee would be looking very closely at the models adopted by other jurisdictions.

He said that at this time the committee would not be looking into removing animal welfare from the portfolio of primary industries despite pushing earlier in the year for a separate body to be established.

Animal rights groups have been complaining for months that there is a clear conflict of interest within the portfolio which has to look after both animal welfare and the interests of industry.

The inquiry is due to report to parliament on August 31.