Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Please see our Make It Possible FAQ for detailed answers.

Please see our live export FAQ for detailed answers.

Every year around Australia thousands of healthy young greyhounds are killed as 'waste products' of the profit driven greyhound racing industry. Their only crime: that they were not fast enough to make money on the track.

Worse still is that some of these unwanted dogs are sent to countries where they are forced to race in even worse conditions. Ultimately, even these dogs cannot escape the inevitable reality of this cruel industry: that they will be killed when they can't turn a profit.

Animals Australia is campaigning to expose and end this cruel industry. Through our work we educate the public and encourage people not to bet on cruelty. With strategic campaigns, political lobbying, and through collaborations with other animal welfare groups nationally and internationally, we are working to end greyhound racing and ensure dogs are protected.

Help end greyhound cruelty:

• Click here to call on Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig, to ban the export of greyhounds.
• Encourage for your friends and family to never to bet on cruelty.
• Support Animals Australia's work to protect greyhounds and all animals, by making a monthly pledge to end animal cruelty.

Animals Australia focuses its campaign efforts on the areas of greatest need -- this is why factory farming and live export are among our highest priorities, with more than half a billion animals suffering in these cruel industries every year.

Our team of campaigners work hard to keep on top of all the issues affecting animals in Australia but, as a small charity with limited time and resources, we simply cannot act on everything. For this reason we rely on the growing community of animal advocates to speak out for animals and take a stand against cruelty.

Use the Animals Australia website search function to check if we have already taken action on the issue that concerns you. Take a look at our list of Member Societies to see if any of them are doing something about it. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or contact your Federal MP to see where they stand. If your query relates to farm animals then contact the relevant state Minister for Agriculture.

Most importantly, talk to your friends, family and colleagues about it -- you can raise a tremendous amount of awareness just by utilising your own networks.

The voice of animals is becoming louder and louder as the community grows more aware of their plight and need for protection. Thank you for taking the time to speak on their behalf. Together we can turn this voice into a roar!

Our wonderful team of office volunteers are working hard to get your packs out to you as quickly as possible, however due to the overwhelming demand we've received, there may be up to a 3 week wait before your pack is delivered.

If you are keen to get active while you wait, you can download a lite version of the Make It Possible Action Pack here.

We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding, and thank you for your enthusiasm to further support our Make It Possible campaign!

Congratulations on choosing to adopt a companion animal! Around 250,000 healthy cats and dogs are euthanized in Australian shelters each year. By making the pledge "to adopt, not buy" you can give someone a second chance at life. 

 Animals Australia is an advocacy organisation, and so does not facilitate adoptions. However you might want to contact one of the shelters or rescue groups in our list of Member Societies.

Alternatively, visit the Pet Rescue website for a list of animals available for adoption around Australia.

If you find an injured wild animal, please call your local wildlife rescue organisation or vet. Some organisations will only operate phones during certain hours so, if the animal needs immediate help please take them to a vet or try contacting another group. Most vets will help wildlife at no cost. You can find a comprehensive list of wildlife care groups on the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife website.

If the animal is a lost companion animal, you have several options:

• Check for any identifying tags or information on their collar to contact the animal's owners.
• Call your local vet or animal shelter and ask if they can assist. Many animals will have a microchip under their skin and a vet or shelter will be able to scan the microchip to locate the owners.
• If the lost animal is injured or unwell, please take them to a vet immediately.

For situations not covered above, please call our office for advice. Please note our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm EST. If it is an emergency situation, please contact your local vet.

Please report what you have seen to the RSPCA in your state as soon as possible.

As Animals Australia does not have the power to investigate or prosecute under the various State animal welfare Acts, you need to report it to those agencies that do. These agencies vary from State to State.

Contact the RSPCA first: Click here to contact them now.

If you are unable to make contact with the RSPCA promptly, an urgent matter should be reported toyour local Police station.

There are some incidents of cruelty that may (also) be handled by other agencies:

• Companion animals:
  Some issues relevant to companion animal businesses (e.g. pet shops, boarding kennels) may be handled by local council officers, and in most states those officers can investigate under the cruelty laws; access your local council website and search for the ranger contact details.
• Farm animals:
  In most states the government's agriculture or primary industries department will also be authorised to deal with cruelty complaints. Click here to find contact details for your State Department. 
• Complaints about stray animals and noise levels should also be directed to your local council.

Images owned by Animals Australia may only be used with prior express permission, in writing, from Animals Australia. Any application for the use of images should indicate the proposed purpose and manner of use. An 'in principle' approval may be given on receipt of a proposal, but final approval will not be considered or granted until final artwork has been assessed.

Please contact our office to receive a copy of our policy on reproducing images from our website. Emailing us with the above details and linking to the exact image you wish to reproduce will assist us in answering you quickly. Please send requests to enquiries@animalsaustralia.org

We'll be sorry to see you go, but if you need to leave Unleashed and want to remove your profile info, then here are a few helpful hints:

First things first, you'll need to be logged in. Then...

• Click here to unsubscribe from emails, or to edit/remove your contact information.
• Click here to edit/remove your public profile info.
• To remove any photos you've posted, click on the photo and then click the trash icon (delete).

If you haven't posted comments to blogs and haven't contributed to the forum, then you can also get in touch with our staff to have your account completely removed.

Thank you for wanting to help make our voice for animals the strongest it can be! There are many ways you can help us speak up for animals.

Pledge a gift
Animals Australia's ground breaking investigations and high impact campaigns are underpinned by the donations from caring supporters like you. By pledging a monthly gift to Animals Australia, you will be helping to ensure we can continue to expose animal cruelty and work towards a kinder world for all animals. Click here to become a 'frontliner for the animals' today.

Volunteer
Animals Australia's Action Network is your way to help extend the impact of our campaigns, online and offline. Join an active team of likeminded people, working to create real change for animals. From letter writing, to public outreach, to strategic campaign initiatives, there is something that everyone can do to make a difference. If you want to stay in the loop on upcoming opportunities to help out, sign up to the Action Network today.

Order an Action Pack
Click here to order a Ban Live Export action pack.
Click here to order an action pack to help end factory farming.

Spread the word
Too often, cruel practices inflicted on animals are allowed to continue simply because people aren't aware of what's happening. But with your help we can change that! Spread the word about Animals Australia's campaigns to shine a light on animal cruelty and inspire others to make a difference for animals too. Share our campaigns on Facebook and Twitter, tell your friends about us, or even order leaflets to distribute in your community.

Click here for more ideas on how you can speak up for animals in your local community.

Thank you for your interest in working for Animals Australia!

Click here to find out what positions are currently available with Animals Australia. We update this page whenever positions open up, so keep an eye out for new opportunities.

You might also like to find out a bit more about how you can gain valuable experience by volunteering to help animals.

Thanks for offering to help out!

The best way to stay in the loop and support our campaign work is to join the Animals Australia Action Network. Once you have joined the Action Network, keep an eye on your inbox to hear about opportunities to volunteer on Animals Australia stalls, assist in letter writing campaigns, and other important ways you can help.

You might also be interested in doing some DIY Street Campaigning.

Or order an Action Pack to get you started with collecting petitions and raising awareness about our major campaigns.

We currently operate out of a small office in Melbourne and occasionally have opportunities for local members to volunteer. If you are keen to help out in our office, send an email to enquiries@animalsaustralia.org and we will be in touch.

If you are super keen to get hands-on helping animals, contact one of Animals Australia’s Member Societies in your area. These groups are small organisations that work hard for animals and many rely completely on volunteers, so they would love to hear from you!

Some cruelty-free businesses have also had success starting their own online fundraising page for Animals Australia. Design your page, print your flyer, promote it on your social media sites and tell your customers about it. This is a great way to let your customers know you care about animals while also raising much needed funds. Sign up your business to become an online fundraiser by clicking here.

We love hearing from students interested in animal protection! While we would like to help, as a small charity with very limited resources we are unfortunately unable to assist with student assignments.

Nonetheless, you will probably find all the answers to your questions by using the search function on our website.

If you are looking for someone to interview for your assignment, you may wish to contact one of our Member Societies.

Did you know that the only animal welfare groups able to claim deductible gift recipient (DGR) status are those working on behalf of endangered species, or groups seen by the Government to be providing a community service, such as pet shelters or pounds?

This means that while Animals Australia is a registered charity, we do not have DGR status. Neither do other animal welfare organisations whose primary goal is to help animals raised for food, entertainment or experimentation. As you know, many of the industries Animals Australia has actively been involved in exposing, such as the live export trade, enjoy government support.

Thankfully our wonderful supporters have encouraged us with their determination to not let this influence their financial support. Animals Australia and our supporters will continue to fight to improve the lives of all animals. We will speak for those who cannot.

You can find more information on tax deductibility for animal protection groups by visiting the Voiceless website.

We have had an amazing response to the Make it Possible campaign and our small team of staff and volunteers are working hard processing a very high volume of orders. If you are expecting more than one item from us, such as merchandise, an action pack or membership pack, these items may be sent to you separately. We have found that this is the most time and cost effective way for us to make sure you receive your items as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your support and understanding while our small team works through this busier than usual period.

You can provide your new contact details to us by emailing enquiries@animalsaustralia.org or alternatively, phone them through to one of our friendly staff members on 1800 888 584.

YES!  There is mounting and overwhelming evidence that a plant-based diet can not only provide for all our nutritional needs but is also healthier. In fact, in addition to wanting to help animals, many people adopt a plant-based diet to improve their health - reducing their risk of stroke, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Former US President, Bill Clinton has praised the health benefits he has gained since cutting meat, eggs and dairy from his diet in 2011, after suffering a heart attack.

From Leonardo Da Vinci to Carl Lewis, Einstein to P!nk, many of the greatest minds, most successful athletes and biggest stars have made the choice to lead a cruelty-free lifestyle.

You can find plenty of simple tips on making the switch by clicking here. You can also find helpful information on eating a healthy balanced plant-based diet here.

If you have specific dietary needs please contact a suitably qualified nutritionist or dietician.

Click here for some clear and simple information that demystifies what each egg label actually means for chickens.

While the vast majority of pork products on supermarket shelves still come from pigs confined in factory farms, most major retailers are now stocking free range and organic options. This is starting to extend to their smallgoods, which is a strong indicator that consumers are increasingly turning their backs on cruel factory farmed products.

If a product isn't labelled 'free-range' or 'certified organic' then you can be pretty sure it comes from a factory farm. To assist in understanding the various production systems, Humane Society International provides a detailed overview of what labels on pig products mean, here.

If you choose to eat pig products, you could contact the Free Range Farmers Association or the Organic Federation of Australia for information on brands and suppliers, or simply ask at your local supermarket.

You might also want to consider that even animals raised on free-range or organic farms will experience the stress and fear of being loaded onto trucks and sent slaughter. Pigs are particularly sensitive and intelligent animals, so the stresses of transportation and handling are perhaps even greater for them. 

Sadly, even with regulations, things can go wrong. In late 2011 and early 2012, a number of slaughterhouses in Victoria and New South Wales were exposed for terrible animal cruelty. A government review of slaughterhouses in NSW found animal welfare breaches at every domestic abattoir in that state.

For these reasons, many people make the choice to simply not eat pigs.

There are now many tasty meat alternatives available in supermarkets, health-food stores and online. If you'd like to explore some of these cruelty-free options, look out for these brands: Fry's Family (found in most Woolworths), Redwood's Cheatin' range (found in many health food stores and through these online stores: Cruelty Free Shop, Vegan Online and PAWS), Lamyong (found in many Asian grocers and online through the above stores).