Local group Mosswood Wildlife is imploring the state government to bring in tough animal cruelty laws.
The call comes as no charges are still to be laid relating to an incident when a koala was allegdly dragged behind a vehicle in the streets of Koroit and left to die.
Mosswood Wildlife referenced this incident in a social media post that called for Premier Jacinta Allan to not let such crimes go unpunished.
“The abhorrent act of cruelty to a defenceless koala in Koroit recently has created a huge community outrage over this heinous act,” the Mosswood post said.
“At the same time our Premier, Jacinta Allan shelved the hard fought for Victorian Animal Care and Protection Bill.
“Victoria‘s animal cruelty laws are some of the weakest in the country and Labor appears to want to keep it that way.”
The post highlighted the introduction of the bill could make causing unreasonable harm, pain, or distress to an animal a high-level offence. This could then bring the punishment of such an act up to five years in jail.
“Please stay outraged at the cruelty to this young male koala, whose injuries were horrendous after being dragged alive behind a ute then dumped at a public park still alive and writhing in pain,” the post went on to say.
“The terror that would have accompanied that is simply beyond imagination.
Please don’t abandon this koala, make his death count for something.”
The Conservation Regulator and Victoria police continue to investigate the Koroit incident, which happened on March 25.
At the time, a Koroit man was arrested and interviewed over the allegations, but not charged.Â
