Australian Capital Territory Consolidated Acts

ANIMAL WELFARE ACT 1992 - SECT 17

    (1)     A person commits an offence if the person promotes, conducts, takes part in or attends as a spectator at a match, competition or any other activity in which an animal is released from captivity for the purpose of being—

        (a)     hunted, caught, confined, injured or killed by a person (by the use of a firearm or otherwise) or another animal; or

        (b)     used to train or exercise another animal.

Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units, imprisonment for 1 year or both.

Example of promoting a competition

advertising the competition

Example of conducting a match

receiving money for admission to the match

Note     An example is part of the Act, is not exhaustive and may extend, but does not limit, the meaning of the provision in which it appears (see Legislation Act, s 126 and s 132).

    (2)     A person commits an offence if the person—

        (a)     owns, keeps, uses or manages premises used for—

              (i)     fights between animals; or

              (ii)     the baiting or maltreating of animals; or

              (iii)     a match, competition or any other activity in which an animal is released from captivity for the purpose of being hunted, caught, confined, injured or killed by a person (by the use of a firearm or otherwise) or another animal; or

        (b)     uses or allows an animal in captivity to kill another animal; or

        (c)     keeps an animal, or has the custody, care or control of an animal, with the intention of—

              (i)     using the animal as a lure for blooding greyhounds; or

              (ii)     killing the animal for the purpose of blooding greyhounds; or

              (iii)     using the animal in any other way in relation to the training and racing of coursing dogs.

Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units, imprisonment for 1 year or both.

    (3)     This section does not apply in relation to—

        (a)     the rehabilitation of native animals for release into the wild in a way authorised under a territory law; or

        (b)     the keeping and display of animals whose normal diet includes live food; or

        (c)     the mustering and working of stock; or

        (d)     the hunting or control of animals in a way authorised under a Commonwealth or territory law; or

        (e)     the catching of fish in a way authorised under a Commonwealth or territory law; or

        (f)     the use of a trained animal to train or exercise another animal of the same species in accordance with accepted animal husbandry practice in relation to the animal.

    (4)     In this section:

"stock"—see the Stock Act 2005 , dictionary.