Abandoned dog spurs call to ban international students from keeping pets in Australia

Australians have demanded a ban on allowing foreign students and others on temporary visas from owning pets after a video featuring a dog abandoned by his owner went viral.

The charming Labrador, believed to be four-years-old, was found on the side of a Sydney road last week and brought to Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic.

According to the video posted to the clinic’s Facebook page, the dog, nicknamed “Noname”, required treatment for a tick infection.

A vet at the clinic, Dr. Sam Kovac, said that Noname had been abandoned by an international student who was moving back to China.

“It’s a real shame that this seems to be a common problem in Sydney with temporary international students adopting animals that live longer than the duration of their studies,” he said.

Kovac commented in the video that there were many cases of dogs who were adopted by international students and when the time came for them to return to their country, they “don’t know what to do with them” and end up abandoning the animals.

He also appealed to the clinic’s Facebook followers to spread the word and help find Noname a new home, calling him “a really lovely Lab”. By the next day, the clinic announced that he had been adopted.

In the update, the clinic wrote: “It’s such a sad story that had a good outcome, but signals a bigger problem that this situation is not extraordinary and it does happen regularly in Sydney.

“It’s not fair to the animals that temporary residents are allowed to adopt pets. A companion animal friend is forever commitment and the relationship should be permanent, not just allow them to be treated as a toy.”

In the post, the majority voiced their agreement with the clinic, with many condemning the actions of irresponsible pet owners and calling for a ban:

Speaking to news.com.au, Jennifer Hart from Pet Medical Crisis Fund, a Melbourne-based charity that helps pet owners pay for surgery they can’t afford, also agreed.

She said many pets have had to be put down after being abandoned by their owners who left the country, and suggested that students who enjoyed the company of animals could instead foster them temporarily or volunteer at animal shelters.

Image via Facebook

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