The Victorian Government promised to crack down on puppy farms. As part of a review of the Code of Practice for Breeders there is a public survey asking for opinions on what minimum standards for cats and dogs used for breeding should be.
Where is “None of the Above”?
While we applaud the public being invited to contribute, we’re forced to choose between values we may not agree with. Anyone who believes dogs in a puppy farm should get more than 30 minutes of human interaction per day is unable to indicate that. The results of the survey are going to be misleading when it only captures a narrow band of values.
Victorian Government is seeking public input on what minimum standards should be imposed on dog breeders. We believe the options provided will seriously the results of the survey.
It will not be obvious to all participants that they can continue without selection an answer. At a bare minimum each question should include ‘none of the above’ or “i don’t know” so users do not feel forced to indicate an option they don’t agree with.
What Should Be Done?
A new valid survey should be created that will capture data more accurately. The question above should at least have a “more than 30 min” option.
- Existing data should be discarded for the current survey
- Invitations should be sent out for people to participate in the new valid survey
