Advocacy


Advocacy is the process of influencing decision-makers who determine policies that impact animals’ lives.

What we do

RSPCA Victoria advocates for the welfare of animals across a range of industries, environments and issues.

RSPCA Victoria:

  • monitors public views and attitudes
  • works with decision-makers in government, regulators and industry
  • builds strong relationships to ensure our voice is heard
  • responds formally via submissions to influence issues that affect animals
  • holds decision-makers accountable by calling out harmful law, policy or practice.

Join our mailing list to stay up to date with our advocacy work! Send your details to advocating@rspcavic.org.au.

Our goals

Our animal welfare goals for 2024 to 2026 align with the RSPCA Advocacy Strategy for 2024 to 2029. RSPCA Victoria will advocate that:

  • the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 review is undertaken and stricter measures for hunting are enacted
  • jumps racing is banned in Victoria
  • the National Horse Traceability System is implemented
  • animal welfare is improved in pig production systems
  • adequate funding is provided to implement the cat management strategy
  • Victorian Government legislates national poultry standards and guidelines
  • greater investment in research and development for animal welfare improvements.

For more information on each of these RSPCA advocacy goals, click here.

RSPCA Victoria supports the work done by RSPCA Australia on national issues, such as reducing the suffering of millions of layer hens in battery cages, and ending the long-haul live export of sheep by sea. For more information on national issues, click here.

View the recording of our 2024 Advocacy Launch Event:

Our actions

October 2024 Following a devastating jumps racing season where the horse fatality rate was one of the highest on record, RSPCA Victoria released an audit into the publicly available data on horse falls, fatalities and injuries in Victorian jumps racing. We also provided a formal submission to the jumps season review being conducted by Racing Victoria, advocating for jumps racing to end. Read our full submission here.
July 2024 RSPCA Victoria provided a formal submission regarding the proposed Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 and the regulatory impact statement. We advocated for a ban on bowhunting, regulating a maximum shooting distance, requiring proficiency testing for all hunters and, due to their threatened status, removing the Australasian Shoveler from the game list entirely. Read our full submission here.
April 2024 We made a formal submission regarding the Victorian Government’s draft Cat Management Strategy outlining our 17 recommendations for improvements. Read our full submission here.
March 2024 We made a formal submission regarding recommended changes to the Exposure Draft of the new Animal Care and Protection Bill, including many that will improve the ability of our Inspectors to investigate animal cruelty cases. Read our full submission here.
March 2024 We presented to the Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee as part of the Inquiry into Pig Welfare. We advocated for changes including limiting pig confinement systems, providing sows with nesting materials at least 48 hours before farrowing, banning single-loader carbon dioxide stunning systems and an end to painful procedures like teeth clipping and tail docking without pain relief. Read our full submission to the Inquiry here.
June 2023 We presented at a public hearing held by the Select Committee conducting the Inquiry into Victoria’s Native Bird Hunting Arrangements. The RSPCA is strongly opposed to recreational native bird hunting and provided recommendations based on welfare impacts including the wounding rate of birds that are shot but not killed outright during the open season each year. Read our full submission to the Inquiry here.

Our achievements

2024 The Select Committee report formed from the parliamentary Inquiry into Pig Welfare recommended the majority of our key asks to improve the lives of pigs. These improvements included recommending banning sow stalls and farrowing crates, mandatory CCTV in abattoirs and on farms, research into alternative options to stunning pigs prior to slaughter, and more. You can read the full report here.
2024 Federal legislation was passed in the Senate to phase out the live export of sheep by sea by 2028!
2024 The Select Committee report formed from the parliamentary Inquiry into Victoria’s Native Bird Hunting Arrangements recommended a complete ban on duck hunting. Banning duck hunting was one of our key advocacy goals.
2023 Agricultural Ministers across the country endorsed the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry, which includes a phase out of battery cages for hens by 2036.
2023 The RSPCA Wildlife Ward opened at Melbourne Zoo, along with the RSPCA Koala Ward at Werribee Open Range Zoo and an expanded laboratory at Healesville Sanctuary’s Australian Wildlife Health Centre, serviced by a fully equipped vehicle – the RSPCA & Zoos Victoria Wildlife Response Unit. Read more here.
2022 The government introduced mandatory reporting and collection of key data to improve transparency and promote responsible rehoming of animals in shelters and pounds. RSPCA Victoria has voluntarily reported its animal fate data publicly for more than twenty years.
2022 Horse-drawn carriages were banned from Melbourne CBD. RSPCA had been advocating for a ban in the city for many years to improve the welfare of working horses.
2021 New legislation was introduced to Victorian Parliament to directly reunite lost pets with their owners. RSPCA Victoria advocated for this change since 2018. These changes mean that all vets and shelters will be able to immediately contact an owner about their lost pet, avoiding the need to send the animal to the local council pound.
2020 New laws on pet rental reform came into effect after years of campaigning from RSPCA Victoria. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse tenants with pets.
2020 Together with our partners, RSPCA Victoria developed Welfare Grooming Guidelines to help pet owners and groomers make decisions on when a welfare groom is required during COVID restrictions.

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