Long-promised animal cruelty prevention laws quietly shelved by Victorian government

Exclusive: Labor bill recognising all animals as sentient and raising care requirements won't be introduced before state election

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A bulldog trapped on a balcony, forced to live among its own faeces. A corgi kept in similarly squalid conditions, surrendered by its owner after community outrage. A Maltese shih tzu beaten with a metal pole - its attacker spared jail.

These are the kinds of animal cruelty cases the Victorian government promised to target with new laws almost a decade ago. But Guardian Australia can reveal those reforms have been shelved indefinitely.