Victorian Policy

Animal Welfare and Companion Care

Support responsible pet ownership, ethical breeding, and transparency in shelters and adoption processes.
Protect farmers, hunters, and regional Australians from radical anti-animal-use legislation.
Oppose the Animal Justice Party’s published positions against horse racing, rodeos, animal agriculture and hunting, while supporting lawful activities subject to humane treatment and strong welfare standards.
Defend the use of working animals, including dogs and horses, in rural and traditional industries.
Oppose the Animal Justice Party’s stated policies against horse racing, rodeos and animal agriculture, while defending lawful animal activities under enforceable welfare safeguards.
Seek Victoria’s participation in a nationally coordinated register of persons convicted of serious animal cruelty offences, with clear criteria, privacy and procedural safeguards.
Provide grants for community desexing and low-cost vet care in partnership with councils and local vets.
Oppose the Animal Justice Party’s position against hunting and its restrictions on animal use in sport and entertainment, while protecting responsible animal ownership, working animals and ethical care.
Support existing legal animal ownership rather than a compulsory “guardianship” model, while maintaining owners’ duties of care and welfare standards.
Recognise animal breed clubs and associations in breeder education, accreditation and welfare oversight, with consistent standards for breeders.
Protect lawful animal racing, equestrian sport, agricultural shows, rodeos, exhibitions, pet ownership and ethical animal breeding under enforceable welfare safeguards.

Introduce a Victorian Working Animal Protection Act to prevent inconsistent council bans on otherwise lawful working-animal activities while retaining existing animal welfare and biosecurity protections.
Protect recreational and commercial fishing, with conservation measures to sustain fish stocks and responsible practices.
Encourage pet-friendly public places, practical off-leash spaces and responsible companion animal participation in community life.
Support accredited zoos and aquariums in conservation, education and animal welfare, and favour humane wildlife management informed by evidence.
Prioritise humane and non-lethal wildlife management wherever possible, while allowing evidence-based, welfare-centred population control where needed to prevent animal suffering or protect biodiversity.
Reduce animal experimentation wherever practicable and invest in alternative methods; retain rigorously supervised, ethically approved animal research where scientifically necessary.
Respect voluntary dietary choices, including plant-based and mixed diets, and oppose mandatory plant-based-only requirements in Victorian public institutions.
Support positive training and education for companion animals, while retaining access to effective, ethical behavioural training tools consistent with animal welfare safeguards.

For our full 12-part policy response to the Animal Justice Party’s platform, see our Response to the Animal Justice Party (AJP)

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Support responsible pet ownership, establish a nationally coordinated animal cruelty register, oppose a compulsory guardianship model and seek removal of GST from household pet food.

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