A push to ban puppy farms has passed the NSW upper house, but the proposed new laws were watered down amid pressure from the dog-breeding industry.
The Animal Justice Party had proposed to cap the number of breeding females per breeder to 10 and restrict each dog to being bred no more than twice in their lifetime.
The legislation that was passed, following Labor amendments, capped the number of breeding females per business at 50 and the lifetime litter per dog to five.
The matter comes amid concern at the increasing number of rescue dogs, following a boom in puppy sales during the pandemic.
The Animal Justice Party sought to address the oversupply of companion animals, a problem worsened by large-scale puppy farms that breed hundreds of animals. Many end up with health problems.
NSW MP Emma Hurst, of the Animal Justice Party, said she was "sickened and confused" that the Coalition government had "refused to support legislation to stop cruelty to dogs happening on a mass scale in NSW".
Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said the bill "restricts the sale of new puppies and kittens from pet shops, which could spell the end of a thriving small business sector".
"Under this legislation, pet shops would only be allowed to sell animals from a rehoming organisation or an approved breeder, making it harder for families to find their next furry friend," Mr Saunders said.
Dogs NSW had been concerned that the original bill would unfairly restrict registered and responsible breeders. It was also concerned it would create "incentives for unlicensed backyard operators", while "registered, professional breeders will be the collateral damage". The Animal Justice Party insisted good breeders were not the target of the laws, but rather the big irresponsible puppy factories with 300-plus dogs.
Ms Hurst said the bill was "significantly watered down by Labor amendments".
The bill will need majority support in the NSW lower house to become law.
Ms Hurst said Labor "removed parts of the legislation that would stop pet shops from acting as smokescreens and selling dogs from puppy farms or dodgy backyard breeders".
"Their changes to the legislation will allow dodgy backyard breeding to continue to flourish, and allow puppy farming to continue, albeit at a smaller scale.
"Given there are currently no laws in place to stop puppy farming in NSW, this weakened version of the bill is better than no bill - and is still a significant step forward in the campaign to shut down puppy farms."
