New breeder law in QLD - how do they affect you? June 12, 2017 17:01

Have you heard about Queensland’s new dog breeding laws?? Don’t consider yourself a breeder? You’re still going to want to know this if you have anything to do with dogs – because you can’t get your new puppy microchipped without a Supply Number. And I think most people know that microchipping has been mandatory for all puppies for some years now.

The idea of the new laws is that every pup can be traced back to who owned it’s mother. So if you own a female dog who has puppies, planned or not, you are now a breeder and are required by law to register as a breeder. Even if it’s a one off event and you book in the spey operation at the earliest possible moment after the birth, you must still get yourself registered as a breeder to get the Supply Number that will be associated with each of those puppies for the rest of their life. As a microchip implanter, we can not microchip any dog born after the 26 May 2017 unless it has a Supply Number provided, or attempts to contact the owner of the mother have been unsuccessful, and we record those attempts. We can also be up for heavy penalty for microchipping a pet under false pretences. 


It’s not too hard to register. If you are a member of a breed society or similar, they will be able to get it sorted for you. If not, you would register as an individual online with the Queensland Dog Breeder Register: https://qdbr.daf.qld.gov.au/  It is free to register but registration only lasts for 12 months, so if your dogs have subsequent litters you will need to renew your registration. You are expected to register within 28 days of the birth of the litter. I rang to check though, and if you miss this date you are still able to register and get a breeder identification number later on.

Pounds and shelters and re-homing organisations will be given their own Breeder Identification Numbers, so that untrace-able dumped puppies that they handle will be identified this way. If you somehow acquire a dog whose source is totally unknown to you (eg. you find a starving stray puppy and decided to keep it) then as long as you keep it yourself, you don’t need a supply number. If you give it to anyone, sell it, foster it out or otherwise hand that dog on, then you would need to apply for a Breeder Exemption Number, to then be attached to that little canine for the rest of it’s life.

Supply Numbers can be searched on the register, and concerned citizens can report breeders they feel are being unethical or inhumane for investigation. From the information provided to us as veterinarians, I get the impression that these new rules are going to be enforced with enthusiasm. Remember you may not even advertise puppies available for sale or even to give away unless you have registered as a breeder. Supply Numbers need to be listed and if they are not, you will be up for penalties.

If you are purchasing a pet, ensure the Supply Number is provided. Pet shops will not be allowed to accept puppies from anyone other than registered breeders.  If it is a private sale, do a search of the number on the register ( https://qdbr.daf.qld.gov.au/  ) and make sure it matches with the details of the mother’s owners that you have. All responsible breeders will be onto this very quickly.

As always when there is legislation involved there are some technical bits and bobs that apply to a very few people. For example working dogs bred by primary producers are exempt in certain circumstances. For all the indepth stuff, this  link will help:

 https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/animal-industries/welfare-and-ethics/animal-welfare/Dog-breeder-regulations/faqs-about-dog-breeder-registration

This is the link to use if you wish to report a concern about a breeder or supplier of dogs https://qdbr.daf.qld.gov.au/information/concern/

And if you feel you  need to speak to a government representative about this new legislation, the phone number is 13 25 23

So what does everybody think about these new laws? I’m interested to find out what public opinion is!

 

Dr Amy Coles