Animals in saleyards
National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW) Position Statement
An animal welfare principle is that animals be exposed to minimal handling and transportation. Consequently, animals should be sold on-farm and, where practical, through the use of electronic marketing.
The Law
- The State and Territory Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (POCTA) Acts adequately provide for the protection of animals at saleyards and clearly identify that the saleyard manager, superintendent or supervisor is responsible for animal welfare, care and handling at the saleyard.
- The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Animals at Saleyards, or any modifications to it by states and territories, details the standards of care required for managing animals at saleyards. The Code should be given legal recognition through prevention of cruelty to animals legislation.
- An Animal Care Statement should be developed for each saleyard in conjunction with the state or territory Department of Primary Industries or equivalent, and be subject to an annual audit.
General Information for the Care of Animals at Saleyards
- Saleyards which permit the sale of single or small groups of young animals usually associated with domestic consumption should be required to placard the saleyard adequately with details of:
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- the acceptable methods for transporting these animals to and from the saleyard
- the acceptable methods of confining the animals while awaiting sale, and
- the placards should use languages in addition to English where appropriate and these saleyard regulations should be strictly enforced.
- Saleyards should be promoted as facilities to spell drought-affected stock where they are being adequately prepared for transport out of the affected region.
- Stock in saleyards should have permanent access to water, and the practice of restricting water before weighing (dry curfew) should be abolished.
- Saleyards which handle animals that have been transported over long distances before sale, or have been subject to climatic stress during assembly and transport to the saleyard, must offer water, and should consider the addition of electrolytes.
- Saleyard managers or superintendents should have access to firearms of sufficient calibre to humanely destroy any animal at the saleyard.
This Position Statement was first published in August 1992 and was reviewed by NCCAW on 20 February 2008. NCCAW made the decision to retain it without amendment.
Last reviewed: 23 Jun 2008
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