Have your say on the future of animal welfare in Australia

The intensive confinement of farmed animals constitutes a fundamental violation of their rights. Practices such as battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs severely restrict movement and deny animals the ability to express natural behaviours. Painful mutilations, including castration, tail docking and teeth clipping, are routinely performed without adequate pain relief. The AAWS must urgently transition away from these practices.

The exploitation of aquatic animals disregards their sentience and capacity to suffer immensely. Practices like commercial fishing and aquaculture inflict pain and death on a massive scale, often with minimal welfare considerations or regulations. The AAWS must fundamentally re-evaluate our relationship with aquatic life and end practices that cause such widespread harm and environmental devastation.

The concept of "managing" wild animals for human convenience is inherently problematic and often results in significant animal cruelty. Hunting, trapping, and lethal control methods, including the use of poisons and pesticides, inflict suffering while disrupting complex ecosystems. The AAWS must prioritise an approach that respects the intrinsic value of wild animals.

The commodification of companion animals raises serious ethical concerns. Intensive breeding practices, including puppy factories and backyard breeding, prioritise profit over animal welfare, often resulting in lifelong suffering. The unregulated sale of animals through pet shops and online platforms further contributes to abandonment and euthanasia. The AAWS must advocate for an end to these practices.

The use of animals in research and teaching forces us to confront profound ethical questions about human superiority. To treat sentient beings as mere tools or disposable objects for human "progress" fundamentally disregards their inherent value and their right to bodily integrity. The AAWS should urgently facilitate a transition to the widespread development of animal-free research and teaching methods.

The use of animals for labour and entertainment constitutes a form of exploitation that should be urgently abolished. Activities like racing, rodeos, and circuses prioritise human entertainment or amusement over animal well-being, inevitably causing both physical and psychological harm. The AAWS should advocate for the complete cessation of these inherently exploitative practices.