Fair Go for Animals Day

It’s time to give animals a fair go.

Australia’s animal welfare system is broken and animals across the country are suffering as a result. But together, we have the power to fix it. The 10th of March is Fair Go for Animals Day, an opportunity for us to unite and demand government reforms that will build a fairer and more independent system that puts animal welfare first.

 

Across Australia, countless animals continue to suffer because our welfare standards and policies prioritise profits over their wellbeing. Layer hens are crammed into battery cages, lambs face the agony of live lamb cutting (mulesing), and racehorses continue to be whipped in the name of sport. Despite scientific advances and a growing public demand for better standards, these cruel practices persist. But change is possible.

Fair Go for Animals Day on the 10th of March is a national call to action, urging Australians to stand up for animals by demanding a fairer and more independent animal welfare system. It’s a chance to shine a light on the flaws within Australia’s animal welfare framework and to push for reforms that recognise animal sentience and ensure all animals are treated with dignity and respect. 

 

Australia’s animal welfare system is failing the animals it’s supposed to protect.

Australia’s current system treats animal welfare as a low priority issue. The same departments and ministers responsible for increasing the productivity and profitability of animal agriculture are also tasked with safeguarding animal welfare. This conflict of interest often prevents decision-makers from pursuing higher standards of welfare. Despite overwhelming public support for better welfare standards, such as the phase out battery cages, state and territory governments fail to act. 

Even worse, the law doesn’t require decision-makers to consider scientific evidence or community expectations when setting standards, leaving millions of animals trapped in outdated and inhumane systems. Although we now have a deeper understanding of animal sentience, our regulatory systems are failing to evolve.

Australia’s standards are also lagging behind the rest of the world. While countries like New Zealand and the United Kingdom have made significant progress in recognising animal sentience and enacting higher welfare standards, Australia continues to permit practices banned elsewhere, such as the live cutting of lambs.

 

Animals deserve better, they deserve a fair go. 

In 2022, the Australian Alliance for Animals, of which Humane World is a core member, launched the Fair Go for Animals campaign, proposing a new framework for building a fairer and more independent animal welfare governance system in Australia. This campaign sets out six crucial reforms, presenting a clear path toward a fairer future for animals:

1. 1. Ministerial recognition: Appoint dedicated Ministers for Animal Welfare to reduce conflicts of interest. 
2. 2. Animal Welfare Commission: Create an independent body to ensure unbiased oversight, making the system truly independent. 
3. 3. State Animal Welfare Authorities: Establish dedicated government authorities to uphold animal welfare laws in each state. 
4. 4. Decision-making principles and sentience recognition: Embed guiding decision-making principles into animal welfare legislation and recognise animals as sentient beings with intrinsic value. 
5. 5. Fair and accountable animal welfare standards processes: Create new standard-setting and decision-making processes to ensure transparency and accountability. 
6. 6. Adequate funding: Allocate proper funding for animal welfare services in line with community expectations. 

 

 

Why is the 10th of March Fair Go for Animals Day?

In February 1964, Ruth Harrison published Animal Machines, a revolutionary book that exposed the realities of intensive animal farming and challenged how we treat farmed animals. Ruth’s work enhanced the public’s understanding of farm conditions and raised concerns for animal welfare. On the 10th of March 1964, scientific and public debates began leading to several legislative reforms. Fair Go for Animals Day commemorates Ruth Harrison’s legacy and her profound impact on animal welfare policy.

“In fact, if one person is unkind to an animal it is considered to be cruelty, but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people.” ― Ruth Harrison, Animal Machines

 

Support the change animals need.

You have the power to help reshape Australia’s animal welfare system. Together, we can build a system that reflects our values– one that treats animals with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Learn more about Animal Welfare Laws or head to our action page to voice your concerns about animal welfare issues in Australia.