The use of pronged collars will be banned and authorised officers will have greater power to enter properties and seize animals under a range of proposed changes to Tasmania's animal welfare laws.
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The laws are intended to start bringing Tasmania up to the standard of other states, where a range of reforms have been ongoing for several years.
Pronged collars are still used by some dog obedience trainers, with spikes poking into the animal's neck. Tasmania is among the last states to ban them.
Other proposals include greater sentencing options for animal cruelty and aggravated cruelty and reversing the onus of proof so an animal is assumed to belong the person listed as the owner in a welfare complaint.
RSPCA Tasmania had provided the government with a list of reforms it wanted to see in the state's "outdated" Animal Welfare Act, with the draft amendments covering the first tranche of suggestions.
Chief executive officer Jan Davis said the changes were just the start.
"In many states we've seen incremental improvement. In some states we've seen clean sheet rewrites," she said.
"We're working on both at the moment.
"We want to get our current act up to scratch, but while we're doing that, we want to have a think about what the next 20 years of animal welfare might look like, to engage in discussions around sentience and some of the other things."
Animal welfare officers will have more power to use their "professional judgement" in deciding whether to take possession of animals that are subject to concerns. Rather than having to meet every criteria, a case would only need to have a smaller number of issues before they can intervene.
The laws also apply to the animal racing industry.
Once the laws pass, RSPCA Tasmania was hoping to see further reforms to crack down on puppy farms and online scam sales, and changes to laws around barking muzzles and glue traps.
Primary Industries Minister Jo Palmer said community expectations were vastly different now than 30 years ago, when the laws were originally drafted.
"The community also has an expectation that we have a really strong framework so that if ... there is cruelty towards an animal, if animals aren't being cared for properly, that we have the good legislation in place that makes sure that they are held accountable for the decision they make, for the actions they take," she said.
Consultation on the laws is open until July 20.
Ms Palmer hopes to have the amendments introduced by the end of this year.
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