Victorian government launches Australia’s first pet census

Victoria’s Minister for Agriculture announced a few weeks ago the creation of a pet census in the state and encouraged the involvement of pet owners to create a comprehensive data on pet companionship.

The census targets questions on pet ownership experiences, attitudes and opinions to consolidate animal welfare data and support pet owners.

The census is expected to run until 28 July 2023. So far, the state is averaging 1,000 applications a day, a Victorian Government spokesperson tells GlobalPETS.

“We have already received a wide range of different animals that Victorians have as pets, from cats and dogs to insects, snakes and turtles. We look forward to analyzing the data when it is all submitted,” they say.

Animal welfare and wildlife remain a top priority for the Labor Government, which allocated AU$18.5 million (€11.3M/$12.3M) in the 2023/24 Victorian Budget toward this effort. This includes AU$7 million (€4.2M/$4.6M) to the Animal Welfare Fund grants program.

Around 28.7 million pets are residents in 6.9 million households across Australia, according to a national pet population survey. The state of Victoria is the third-biggest pet spender in Australia.