6 www.catprotection.org.au CAT PROTECTION DIARY Animal Rights Forum We had a terrific weekend (21-22 February) at the Animal Rights Forum in Sydney, listening to and learning from others working in animal protection and advocacy. It was informative, heartwarming, and inspiring being among such passionate people who dedicate themselves to giving animals a voice, whether it’s through their workplace, charity or volunteering, or standing up for animals in Parliament. We heard from Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst, who acknowledged the benefits of voluntary cat containment but noted that mandatory cat containment laws would do more damage than good, and that cats are being used as scapegoats for the consequences of human actions. A strong theme over the weekend was the urgent need to recognise the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health and wellbeing, and that to promote One Welfare, we need to strengthen collaboration between environmental, human public health, and animal advocates. There were many interesting discussions, like the “Greyhounds Unleashed” panel. Amy MacMahon, President of the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, spoke about her own greyhound Buddy and how she became inspired to become a political changemaker on behalf of these beloved dogs. We also learned about the incredible work of Beagle Freedom Australia who, you might be surprised to learn, also care for cats. Their work is to rehabilitate and rehome ex-research, ex-testing or ex-teaching laboratory animals. Based in Victoria, they specialise in beagles because beagles are the breed of choice in laboratory settings. For more information visit www.beaglefreedomaustralia.org We were delighted to meet the many attendees who told us about their beautiful cats, many of them Cat Protection alumni! Thank you to everyone who supported our stall and who came to have a chat about cat welfare issues. Are you a cat owner who has taken your cat to the vet in the last 12 months? If so, we invite you to participate in a 10-15-minute online survey via the link or QR code below: https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=CK9HF9P YTLPXTMR4 This survey is open to cat owners aged 18 or older who have taken their cat/s to the vet in the past 12 months. The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of The University of Sydney [ethics reference: 2025/HE001249] Should you wish to contact us about this study, please email Dr Anne Quain: anne.quain [@] sydney.edu.au
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