An anti-puppy farming campaigner is outraged a cat breeder convicted of animal cruelty is still allowed to own 35 cats.
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Christine Weisheit was banned from looking after cats and kittens for the next 10 years, but the 62-year-old is allowed to have up to 35 cats.
The Ballarat Magistrates Court put the ban in place on Wednesday, and fined her $11,000 with $10,000 in costs, after Weisheit pleaded guilty to 34 animal cruelty charges.
RSPCA Victoria recommended the court impose the ban.
The animal welfare organisation seized 122 cats and kittens from Weisheit’s Warrak farm on November 18, 2014, after an animal welfare complaint.
The animals were in bad health, suffering from cat flu, malnutrition, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, parasites and ringworm infection. Twenty-five cats and a horse were euthanised.
At Wednesday’s court hearing RSPCA Victoria recommended Weisheit be allowed to keep no more than 35 cats for the next 10 years.
The court imposed the ban, but Oscar’s Law founder Debra Tranter said this would allow Weisheit to stockpile cats for breeding.
“RSPCA have allowed her to start stockpiling cats for breeding again, by not agreeing with the magistrate and recommending she keep 35 cats, this has allowed her to continue operating,” Ms Tranter said.
“I don’t think she is capable of looking after any other animals.”
Ms Tranter believed Weisheit was still able to operate a domestic animal business, which she said was illegal for anyone convicted under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
She said she had made a complaint to the RSPCA and Ararat Rural City Council about the alleged business.
A RSPCA Victoria spokesperson said she was pleased Weisheit had pleaded guilty to all charges and accepted responsibility for her actions.
The spokesperson said the submission for the accused to keep 35 cats on her property was based on a permit issued by another regulatory body, which allows Weisheit to keep this number of cats.
The RSPCA said it would investigate if Weisheit was still operating a business as was the ongoing official procedure.
As part of Weisheit’s ban, the court ordered authorised inspectors to monitor her property over the next 10 years with monitoring to occur up to four times a year.
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