Dog owners in the ACT are now facing hefty fines if they don’t walk their pets within a 24 hour period.

New ownership laws passed in the ACT have recognised animals as “sentient beings” that deserve to be treated with compassion.

Owners could now be hit with a $4000 on-the-spot fine if their dog is left in a confined space for 24 hours.

They could also face jail time for aggravated cruelty charges such as dogfighting.

2GB’s veterinary expert Dr Rob Zammit tells Karl Stefanovic the laws actually make a lot of sense.

“First I thought ‘wait, this is a bit of a police state’, but when you read through it, they’re trying to use common sense.

“It’s for dogs that are chained up for long periods of time or confined in small areas for long periods of time.”

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