More than 250 labradoodles urgently need homes after RSPCA Tasmania shut down the state's biggest puppy breeder, Tasmanian Labradoodles, due to animal welfare concerns.
According to The Guardian, many of these dogs have never been in contact with humans and need care before they can join loving families.
Last Friday, Tasmanian Labradoodles surrendered all its dogs in a landmark out-of-court agreement, leading to the immediate and permanent closure of the business.
This followed 70 charges brought by the RSPCA against the owners for alleged overbreeding between April 2021 and February 2023.
Despite this victory for animal welfare, the challenge now is to rehome all these labradoodles.
Call for Urgent Help
Andrea Dawkins, the chief executive of RSPCA Tasmania, has issued a call for donations, veterinary care, foster homes, and adoptions for the dogs.
“Many of these dogs have never been in contact with a human; they will need so much care before they are ready to be part of a loving family with the life they so deserve,” Dawkins told The Guardian.
The organization aims to keep the rehoming process within Tasmania, Australia, to reduce stress on the dogs.
Fostering a dog will be free, while the adoption fee is set at $495.
Each dog will need at least $1,000 worth of vet checks, vaccinations, behavioral assistance, food, and temporary housing. The RSPCA has set a $300,000 goal to help cover these expenses.
Changing the Laws
Dawkins urged the state government to change the Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2016 to mandate better breeding standards and ban puppy farms.
“The reality is that the laws have failed all of us,” Dawkins said. “The existing law does nothing to deter this from happening and nothing to penalize when it does.”
Under current laws, the maximum penalty for the owners of Tasmanian Labradoodles would have been just $273,000, a small amount compared to the estimated $2 million revenue of the puppy farm.
“The laws must change. We cannot let a situation like this happen ever again,” Dawkins insisted.
In a statement released last year, the couple who owned Tasmanian Labradoodles defended their practices, claiming they had been breeding labradoodles for 20 years and feeding their dogs a 100% raw diet.
