Have you been charged with animal offences?
We can help you.
If you have been charged with animal offences, we are criminal lawyers who can help you.
Offences with animals can range from not having a licence to a dog rushing towards someone, or actual animal cruelty.
These offences often range in issues like;
Was it your animal that was involved?
Is someone blaming your dog when it was their dog at fault?
I was not the owner so how come I am charged with an offence?
Each case is different so it is important you seek advice from lawyers with experience in animal offence matters.
If a dog attacks or chases any person or animal and physical injury is caused to the person or animal that is attacked or chased, every person liable for the control of the dog commits an offence. Depending upon the facts of the offence, penalty can be imprisonment or a fine of up to $20,000.
May be you are facing an issue with regard to your cat. In Western Australia, Cat Act 2011 provide for the control and management of cats and promote and encourage the responsible ownership of cats, and related matters.
ANIMAL CRUELTY
In WA, Animal cruelty is a serious criminal offence.
Penalties for offences of animal cruelty are set out in section 19(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. It is a criminal offence that is committed by a person who caused death or serious injury to an animal. The death or serious injury may have been the result of abuse, torture, being driven over, confinement, neglect, or poisoning.
Have you been accused of Animal Cruelty?
We recommend you contact our office for legal advice Interview
If you are contacted about interviewing you in relation to your dog or cat being a nuisance, chat to a lawyer before answering any questions. Anything you say in an interview is critical to how your case will proceed. Sometimes it’s best to put your side of the story on record. Other times it’s best to answer ‘no comment’ to their questions. This depends on a variety of factors.
Pleading Not Guilty
If you dispute the allegations about your pet, or maybe it isn’t your pet, you have the right to contest the allegation. Whilst this is not a particularly serious offence, you are still at risk of a conviction and you should therefore discuss possible defenses with one of our lawyers. We can assess the case against you and devise a defiance strategy. This might include asking for the charge to be withdrawn by the police so it never reaches the hearing stage.
Pleading Guilty
Our lawyers run guilty pleas on a daily basis. Not only can we run an effective plea on your behalf to ensure the best possible outcome in court, we also suggest measures that can be put in place to ensure the offending doesn’t happen again. In relation to one’s dog or cat being a nuisance, we can explore ways of preventing the animal from continuing to be a nuisance. This takes the stress away moving forward and will also help your case.
