United Pet Club

Mulesing: the law by country

Where it is banned, allowed only under conditions or permitted. Each rule names its law and links to the source.

How Mulesing is regulated across 8 places
  • Zabranjeno: 3 places
  • Ograničeno: 5 places

Australija

Whole country

OgraničenoAll species

Nije zakon sam po sebi; svaka država odlučuje. Od travnja 2026.: obvezno u QLD, SA, TAS; samo kao dokaz u NSW i ACT; nije usvojeno u NT; VIC i WA planiraju ga usvojiti. Standardi: ne mlađe od 24 sata niti starije od 12 mjeseci; ublažavanje boli u dobi od 6 do 12 mjeseci; vješt izvođač; bez bolesnih ili slabih ovaca; samo koža koja nosi vunu. Prijedlog zakona NSW iz svibnja 2026. zahtijevao bi ublažavanje boli; nismo mogli potvrditi je li prošao. Nekirurške metode su izuzete.

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Not law by itself; each state decides. As of April 2026: mandatory in QLD, SA, TAS; evidence only in NSW and ACT; not adopted in NT; VIC and WA plan to. Standards: not under 24 hours or over 12 months old; pain relief at 6 to 12 months; skilled operator; no sick or weak sheep; only wool-bearing skin. A NSW Bill of May 2026 would require pain relief; we could not confirm it passed. Non-surgical methods are excluded.

Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep (endorsed January 2016), S7.1 to S7.5Checked 4. stu 2026.

Queensland

OgraničenoAll species

Obvezni kodeks prema nacionalnom tijelu za norme. Pročitali smo nacionalni tekst, a ne uredbu: ne mlađe od 24 sata niti starije od 12 mjeseci; ublažavanje boli u dobi od 6 do 12 mjeseci; vješt izvođač; samo koža koja nosi vunu.

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Mandatory code per the national standards body. We read the national text, not the regulation: not under 24 hours or over 12 months old; pain relief at 6 to 12 months; skilled operator; only wool-bearing skin.

Animal Care and Protection Regulation 2012 (Qld), national Sheep Standards as a code of practiceIn force since 1. srp 2021.Checked 4. stu 2026.

South Australia

OgraničenoAll species

Ne mlađe od 24 sata niti starije od 12 mjeseci; samo koža koja nosi vunu; dobra tjelesna kondicija; starije od 6 mjeseci zahtijeva analgetik ili anestetik. Zakon Animal Welfare Act 2025 (SA), koji nije bio na snazi 2026-11-04, stavit će te propise izvan snage kad stupi na snagu.

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Not under 24 hours or over 12 months old; only wool-bearing skin; good body condition; over 6 months old needs an analgesic or anaesthetic. The Animal Welfare Act 2025 (SA), not in operation on 2026-11-04, will repeal these regulations when it starts.

Animal Welfare Regulations 2012 (SA), r 79In force since 15. tra 2017.Checked 4. stu 2026.

Tasmania

OgraničenoAll species

Samo između 14 dana i 6 mjeseci starosti; ublažavanje boli za svaku ovcu; samo koža koja nosi vunu; vješt ili nadziran izvođač; bez ovaca s iscrpljujućom bolešću, slabošću ili lošim napredovanjem. Strože od nacionalnog standarda.

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Only between 14 days and 6 months old; pain relief for every sheep; only wool-bearing skin; skilled or supervised operator; no sheep showing debilitating disease, weakness or ill-thrift. Stricter than the national standard.

Animal Welfare (Sheep) Regulations 2023 (Tas), r 19In force since 12. srp 2023.Checked 4. stu 2026.

Victoria

OgraničenoAll species

Ovca mora dobiti sredstvo za ublažavanje boli registrirano za ovce od Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.

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The sheep must be given a pain-relief product registered for sheep by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019 (Vic), r 8In force since 1. srp 2020.Checked 4. stu 2026.

Kanada

Whole country

ZabranjenoAll species

National Farm Animal Care Council Code of Practice: industrijski kodeks, a ne zakon. NFACC navodi da zahtjevi Kodeksa u većini provincija nisu izričito obvezujući, ali mogu biti dokaz patnje. Spominje se u provincijskom pravu: usvojen u NL (NLR 36/12; NLR 35/12 s.15 čini praksu koju Kodeks zabranjuje zabranjenom praksom), propisan u SK (Reg 1 s.3-4), naveden kao obrana u NB (Reg 2000-4 s.4(2), Sch A) i BC (B.C. Reg. 34/2019, kao općeprihvaćena praksa), prihvaćen u NS (Act s.28(b)). Ne smije se izvoditi; Kodeks navodi da se nikad nije koristilo u kanadskoj proizvodnji ovaca.

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National Farm Animal Care Council Code of Practice: an industry code, not a statute. NFACC says Code requirements are not explicitly binding in most provinces but can be evidence of distress. Referred to in provincial law: adopted in NL (NLR 36/12; NLR 35/12 s.15 makes a practice a code prohibits a prohibited one), prescribed in SK (Reg 1 s.3-4), named as a defence in NB (Reg 2000-4 s.4(2), Sch A) and BC (B.C. Reg. 34/2019, as generally accepted practice), accepted in NS (Act s.28(b)). Must not be performed; the Code says it has never been used in Canadian sheep production.

NFACC Code of Practice: Sheep (2013), s.5.8 (industry code, not a statute)Checked 4. stu 2026.

Newfoundland and Labrador

ZabranjenoAll species

Praksa zabranjena u usvojenom kodeksu zabranjena je praksa za svakoga tko je obvezan poštovati taj kodeks. Sheep Code kaže da se mulesing ne smije izvoditi.

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A practice prohibited in an adopted code is a prohibited practice for anyone required to comply with that code. The Sheep Code says mulesing must not be performed.

Animal Protection Regulations, NLR 35/12, s.15; NLR 36/12 (adopts NFACC Sheep Code, s.5.8)Checked 4. stu 2026.

Novi Zeland

Whole country

ZabranjenoAll species

Nitko ne smije bilo kojom metodom ukloniti stražnjicu, kožne nabore repa ili kožne bore repa ovce. Novčana kazna do NZ$5,000 (pravna osoba NZ$25,000).

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Nobody may, by any method, remove the breech, tail skin folds or tail skin wrinkles of a sheep. Fine up to NZ$5,000 (body corporate NZ$25,000).

Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018, r 59In force since 1. lis 2018.Checked 4. stu 2026.

What each status means

Zabranjeno
Prohibited outright.
Ograničeno
Allowed with conditions other than a vet: an age limit, a method, a licence.

The law on other procedures

All procedures and the law