Queensland asked to ban dog, cat sales

The Queensland government has been asked to ban pet shops from selling cats and dogs. petition tabled in state parliament today and signed by 2597 people outlined what it called the "cruel practice" of selling cats and dogs in pet shops.It says unwanted pets were often put down after spur-of-the-moment purchases and Queensland should follow the lead of other countries that had banned pet shops from selling cats and dogs.

"Animals are often purchased by ill-informed people who later discard their pet when they realise that pet ownership is not as easy or cheap as they thought," the petition says. "Your petitioners request the House to ban all pet shops from selling cats and dogs."In 2008, the government introduced a code of conduct designed to lower the numbers of unloved pets.

The code encouraged pet shops to ensure animals went only to suitable homes. Under it, prospective owners were to be talked through the responsibilities of pet ownership and whether a pet matched that person's lifestyle. It was also aimed at ensuring all cats and dogs were microchipped and desexed before they reached breeding age.