Maximum penalty--1000 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), a person is taken to be cruel to an animal if the person does any of the following to the animal-- (a) causes it pain that, in the circumstances, is unjustifiable, unnecessary or unreasonable;
(b) beats it so as to cause the animal pain;
(c) abuses, terrifies, torments or worries it;
(d) overdrives, overrides or overworks it;
(e) uses on the animal an electrical device prescribed under a regulation;
(f) confines or transports it--
(i) without appropriate preparation, including, for example, appropriate food, rest, shelter or water; or
(ii) when it is unfit for the confinement or transport; or
(iii) in a way that is inappropriate for the animal's welfare; or
[SIZE=-1]Examples for subparagraph (iii)-- [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]placing the animal, during the confinement or transport, with too few or too many other animals or with a species of animal with which it is incompatible [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]not providing the animal with appropriate spells [/SIZE]
(iv) in an unsuitable container or vehicle;
(g) kills it in a way that--
(ii) causes it not to die quickly; or
(iii) causes it to die in unreasonable pain;
(h) unjustifiably, unnecessarily or unreasonably--
(i) injures or wounds it; or
(ii) overcrowds or overloads it.
There is a number of relative legislation relating to animal cruelty. However what it comes down to in the end is that there is specific legislation regarding feeder animals. It gives an exemption which allows the feeding of live animals in certain circumstances where the life of the animal to be fed is in danger.
This part is under "exemptions" in the act.
43 Animals used to feed another animal
It is an offence exemption for an offence for a person if-- (a) the act that constitutes the offence involves using an animal (the food animal) as live food for another animal (the fed animal); and
(b) the food animal and the fed animal are both lawfully kept by the person; and
(c) the fed animal will only eat the food animal if it is alive; and
(d) feeding the food animal to the fed animal is essential for the fed animal's survival.
There you go. Chuck one in, hope you get the two years.