What laws are necessary to stop puppy farming?
Puppy farming is considered to be a major animal welfare issue in Australia. The RSPCA has
dedicated considerable time and resources to investigating and developing strategies, in
conjunction with key stakeholders, for how this practice may be brought to an end. These
strategies are outlined in the RSPCA paper End Puppy Farming – The Way Forward (see link
below). A number of the strategies proposed in this paper require legislative action on behalf of
state and territory governments. Animal management and animal welfare laws must be
amended to create a regulatory regime that will enable prospective puppy buyers to ensure they
will not be supporting the operation of puppy farms, and allow relevant authorities to detect
puppy farms and to respond accordingly.
RSPCA Australia has identified six key legislative elements required to achieve this objective.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Element
Registration of dog breeders.
Compulsory microchipping of all dogs before
12 weeks of age and prior to sale or transfer.
Microchip information recorded must include
microchip ID number of dog’s mother and
breeder registration number.
Breeder registration number must be
displayed at the point of sale and in
advertisements.
Mandatory standards for the conduct of dog
breeding.
Power for courts to make interim ownership,
costs and prohibition orders while legal
proceedings are on foot.
Implemented within
Animal management legislation
Animal management legislation
Animal management legislation
Animal management legislation
Animal welfare and management
legislation
Animal welfare and management
legislation
These elements are outlined in further detail in the RSPCA’s paper Legislating to End Puppy
Farming – The Way Forward (below). This paper also provides a useful table which summarises
the current state of relevant animal management and welfare laws in each state and territory.
Some state and territory governments are already well on the way to achieving many of these
legislative reforms. Others are yet to act. Because the markets for puppies deriving from puppy
farms extends beyond state boundaries, it is very important that all state and territory
governments enact consistent legislation to avoid the creation of regulatory “black holes”, which
may undermine national efforts to address puppy farming.
If you would like to help end the practice of puppy farming, please write to your local state
parliamentary representative, and your state minister responsible for animal welfare, and ask
whether your state has the laws necessary to see the end of this unethical practice.
Article ID: 508
Last updated: 24 Mar, 2016
Revision: 4
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