By Parker McKenzie
Political campaigns aren’t a foreign concept for local business owner Leah Folloni, having run as a candidate for the Animal Justice Party three times before nominating as their candidate for Monbulk in the 2022 state election.
Ms Felloni’s animal welfare advocacy goes beyond politics too, running a self-funded animal sanctuary, where she cares for around 45 rescued animals, alongside a plant nursery business.
Ms Folloni said the people of Monbulk want “a real solution to introduced animals in our natural environment”.
“As far as animal issues go the list is endless really, we need to do so much better to help animals,” she said.
“People want to see change for non-human animals.”
She said she advocates for the ending of duck shooting, ensuring pigs aren’t kept in sow stalls and farrowing crates, the banning of 1080 poison, ending greyhound racing due to the number of deaths on and off the track, changes to the Authority to Control Wildlife program, protection of kangaroos, access to shade and shelters for animals being mandatory and banning jump racing for horses.
“In my years of being an animal advocate I have seen gut-wrenching cruelty, most of it legal and often standard practice,” she said.
“I’ve seen many dead, starving, suffering animals on farms with little-to-no consequence or change ever occurring. We need a publicly-funded Independent Animal Protection Agency and laws to recognize and protect animals’ rights and sentience.”
Ms Folloni, who lives in Emerald with her husband and two sons, is passionate about educating people about and advocating for the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, bringing awareness to the impact of animal agriculture on climate change.
She said she believes in the Animal Justice Party’s values of kindness, equality, rationality and non-violence.
“The state government needs to listen and get with the times in terms of animal welfare, we have fallen behind in so many areas and we need to do more. As a collective species, we are better and we need to do better,” she said.
“If anyone would like to help out on the campaign, please get in touch.”
Leah Folloni can be contacted at Leah.folloni.ajp@gmail.com
