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Help strengthen Australia’s Animal Welfare Strategy

Help strengthen Australia’s Animal Welfare Strategy

The Australian Government is renewing the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, creating an important opportunity to improve the lives of animals across Australia.

RSPCA Australia welcomes the return of a national strategy and its focus on science, evidence and collaboration. To drive meaningful change for animals, the final strategy needs to be ambitious, adequately funded, and fit to meet the future needs and expectations of the Australian community.

Submissions close at 5pm AEDT on Friday 13 November 2026.

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A chance to create lasting change

The final strategy is an opportunity to provide stronger national direction and turn shared ambitions for better animal welfare into meaningful action. This is your opportunity to have input into how our animals are treated in the future.

For some time, Australia has lacked a coordinated, strategic national direction and long-term investment in animal welfare. Renewing the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy is an important opportunity to bring governments and stakeholders together around a shared vision for improving the lives of animals.

There is a lot to welcome in the draft strategy. RSPCA Australia supports its recognition of animal sentience, its definition of animal welfare, its focus on science and evidence, and its recognition that good animal welfare means more than simply preventing cruelty.

But significant challenges remain. Australia's animal welfare system is fragmented, progress can be slow, and improvements can be hampered due to poor coordination between governments, industries and other organisations. Effective leadership and successful collaboration between stakeholders are essential and central to the approach described in the draft strategy. 

The draft strategy already recognises many of the right issues.

RSPCA Australia is asking the Australian Government to strengthen its commitments in four areas so the strategy can deliver meaningful and lasting improvements for animals.

We have compiled the following suggested messages to include or build upon in your submissions to the government:
Faster and more consistent national standards

Australia needs a faster and more effective process for developing, reviewing and implementing national animal welfare standards.

The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for poultry illustrate the problem: eight years of drafting, followed by endorsement of agricultural ministers in 2023 and yet, three years later, only one state has incorporated them into legislation.

The strategy provides an opportunity to establish a clearer and more accountable pathway for developing and implementing contemporary animal welfare standards across Australia.

Animals should not receive different levels of protection simply because of where they live.

Recognise the connection between animal welfare and human wellbeing

The draft strategy's companion animal chapter recognises the importance of the human-animal bond and the role animals play in people's lives, particularly for vulnerable Australians.

This connection deserves greater recognition.

During a cost-of-living crisis and ongoing family and domestic violence concerns, the AAWS’ companion animal chapter recognises the importance of the human-animal bond, and the role pets play in the lives of vulnerable Australians. The proposed opportunity to integrate animal health and welfare into community planning is critical activity that needs to be mobilised as soon as possible.

Improving animal welfare therefore requires collaboration beyond the traditional animal welfare sector. Governments, community services, housing providers, animal welfare organisations and others all have a role to play.

Supporting people and animals to remain safely together can improve outcomes for both.

Greater investment in animal welfare research and data

Good animal welfare policy relies on strong evidence.

The draft strategy recognises the importance of research, data collection and transparency. RSPCA Australia wants this focus strengthened and supported by greater investment and a stronger industry commitment to transparency.

Funding for animal welfare research has declined significantly across several animal sectors over the past few years: Better research and data can help us understand where welfare problems exist, measure whether policies are working and ensure decisions about animals are informed by contemporary science.

This investment is important across the many sectors covered by the strategy, including wildlife, companion and farmed animals, aquatic species, animals used in research and teaching, and animals used in work, sport and recreation.

Better evidence will help Australia make better decisions for animals.

Dedicated funding to turn the strategy into action

A national strategy will only improve the lives of animals if it is effectively implemented.

RSPCA Australia is calling on the Australian Government to provide dedicated funding as the strategy moves from planning into implementation in 2027.

That investment is critical to bringing stakeholders together and turning the ambitions of the strategy into meaningful action.

The renewed strategy is an important opportunity. It must be supported by the leadership and resources needed to maintain momentum and deliver real improvements for animals.

The real test of the strategy will be what happens next.

Not sure what to write? You can use the suggested text below as a starting point.

We encourage you to personalise it and add why these issues matter to you.
Suggested text for your submission

I support the renewed Australian Animal Welfare Strategy and would like to see it lead to meaningful and lasting improvements for animals across Australia.

Australia needs a faster and more effective process for developing, reviewing and implementing national animal welfare standards. Animals should not receive different levels of protection simply because of where they live. Nationally agreed standards should be implemented consistently and within clear timeframes across all states and territories.

The strategy should also recognise the important connection between animal welfare and human wellbeing. Cost-of-living pressures, housing insecurity and family and domestic violence can affect people's ability to care for and remain with their animals. Greater collaboration between governments, community services, housing providers and animal welfare organisations can help keep people and animals safely together.

I would also like to see greater investment in animal welfare research, data collection and transparency. Strong evidence is essential for understanding animal welfare problems, measuring whether policies are working and ensuring decisions are informed by contemporary science.

Finally, the strategy needs dedicated funding to turn its commitments into action. I encourage the Australian Government to provide the leadership, investment and resources needed to implement the strategy from 2027 and deliver real improvements for animals.

 

Make it your own

Personalising your submission can help communicate why these issues matter. Consider adding a sentence or two about:

 

  • why animal welfare is important to you
  • an issue you feel particularly strongly about
  • an experience you've had with animals or animal welfare
  • the change you'd most like to see

You also don't need to keep everything we've suggested. Edit the text so it reflects your own views before submitting it.

Tell the Government you want a stronger strategy

Have your say

This is the final opportunity to provide feedback on the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy before the current consultation closes.

If you would like to make a submission, you could tell the Government that you welcome the return of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy and would like the final strategy strengthened.

You'll be taken to the Australian Government's Have Your Say website to submit your feedback.

Submissions close at 5pm AEDT on Friday 13 November 2026.

Make a submission
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