Long-promised animal cruelty prevention laws quietly shelved by Victorian government

<p><strong>Exclusive: </strong>Labor bill recognising all animals as sentient and raising care requirements won’t be introduced before state election</p><ul><li><p><em><strong>Warning: </strong>This article contains graphic content</em></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>A bulldog trapped on a balcony, forced to live among its own faeces. A corgi kept in similarly squalid conditions, surrendered by its owner after community outrage. A Maltese shih tzu beaten with a metal pole – its attacker spared jail.</p><p>These are the kinds of animal cruelty cases the Victorian government promised to target with new laws almost a decade ago. But Guardian Australia can reveal those reforms have been shelved indefinitely.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/25/victoria-animal-protection-laws-shelved">Continue reading...</a>