FAQs

The Dog and Cat Management (Breeder Reforms) Amendment Act 2025 introduces a new breeder licensing scheme for South Australia.

 Replacing the existing registration system, dog and cat breeders (including individuals and organisations) will need to apply for – and be approved to hold – a breeder licence. 

 A licence will only be granted if:  

• The applicant is not disqualified from breeding under any relevant Australian laws.
• Neither the applicant nor their current spouse/partner has been convicted of prescribed offences in the past five years (you can find a list of proposed prescribed offences in the draft regulations).

 Applications will be assessed against specific criteria to ensure responsible breeding practices are being undertaken, including: 

• Breeding facilities and plans of management for animals kept.
• Education and experience, including knowledge of breeding and selling laws.

 Licence terms and conditions will include:

• A limit on the number of animals that can be used for breeding.
• Mandatory recording of all litters produced (puppies and kittens).
• Compliance with standards and guidelines to ensure humane care of animals (we’re now seeking your feedback on the draft standards and guidelines).

 Overall, this scheme aims to wipe out irresponsible or inappropriate dog and cat breeding and improve confidence in South Australia’s breeding sector. 

The Amendment Act (Section 68) identifies the legal definition of a breeder and what is considered breeding. 

 A person will be taken to breed, or have bred, a dog or cat if they:

• Own a dog or cat who gives birth to, or sires a litter,
• Allow their dog or cat to mate (either intentionally or by failing to prevent mating),
• Provide their dog or cat to someone else for breeding purposes,
• Carry out or arrange for artificial insemination of their dog or cat, or
• Supply semen or eggs (ova) from their dog or cat for breeding.

 Put simply, any kind of breeding, whether natural or assisted, means you are a breeder.

Anyone who sells a dog or cat they have bred, whether intentionally or as a result of an accidental litter, must be registered as a breeder in Dogs and Cats Online (DACO). More information about current requirements can be found on the Dog and Cat Management Board Website: Breeding and selling | Dog and Cat Management Board

The government made a commitment to ban puppy factories, the cruel practice of breeding dogs to sell puppies while keeping mothers in cramped conditions. Puppies and kittens should not be bred from an animal that has been inadequately housed or cared for or bred from too many times. 

These new laws will bring SA equal the toughest in the nation, preventing unscrupulous breeders moving their businesses to SA.

The new breeder licensing scheme is expected to begin in 2027, allowing time for supporting processes and systems to be developed.  

If you are a registered breeder, we will keep you informed as things progress. You will receive notification when it is time to apply for a new breeder licence.  

Breeder registration will remain until the new breeder licensing scheme commences. 

Until then, breeder registration expires on 30 June each year and renewal notices are issued each July with your dog and cat registration notices. 

On commencement, dog and cat breeders will begin to apply for – and be approved to hold – a breeder licence. Transition timelines and deadlines will be considered, and support will be provided to assist breeders to move across to the new licensing system over time. 

Breeders will continue to operate under current registrations until the transition is complete, expected to take up to three years. 

It is anticipated that most breeders already meet the minimum standards of care and management required, and will find the impact minimal.

Veterinarians who care for or assist dogs and cats in breeding processes will not be required to obtain a breeder licence.

The draft regulations also propose circumstances where an animal shelter/rescue or council would not be required to hold a licence, such as when the animal was already pregnant before it came into care. You can provide your feedback on these circumstances via our survey now.  

Where a dog or cat experiences an accidental pregnancy or litter, the owner would be expected to apply for a breeder licence as soon as the pregnancy is identified. 

Since 2018, South Australia has had mandatory desexing laws for dogs and cats. This means that owners must have a desexing exemption to have a fertile dog or cat. 

The Dog and Cat Management Board will be responsible for administering and enforcing the breeder licensing system. 

To ensure breeders comply with all relevant legal obligations, the Board will collaborate with other regulatory authorities as needed, including the RSPCA and local councils.

Licence fees will be set closer to the launch of licensing and will follow a cost neutral fee model. A cost-neutral fee model charges only enough to cover the cost of administration and enforcement.

Licensing fees will be payable to the Dog and Cat Management Fund. 

The suspension or cancellation of a licence takes effect from the day specified in the written notice by the Dog and Cat Management Board and can disqualify a person from holding or obtaining a breeder licence for a specified period (not exceeding 5 years).

An authorised person can seize and hold these animals if needed and they can also issue written directions to the breeder (for example, instructions on food, housing, rehoming, or vet care).

Yes. In 2022, the government introduced an immediate cap of 50 fertile breeding females per premise or per breeder. 

In addition to this, we’re now seeking your feedback on other fertile female limits, including a maximum of 20 fertile females per breeding facility. You can share your thoughts on these limits via our survey. 

Under the proposed licensing scheme, each breeder licence will also include an individual cap, meaning breeders cannot keep more animals than the number approved in their licence. 

In 2022, the Dog and Cat Management Board surveyed registered breeders for their feedback on the proposed changes. 

In 2024, consultation was undertaken on proposed reforms to the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995, which includes the breeder licensing scheme. 

Feedback was received from a wide variety of stakeholders including breeders, local government, RSPCA SA, Animal Welfare League, veterinarians and the public. A summary of the feedback has been provided through the consultation report.

The documents prepared for consultation have been informed by additional sector engagement to ensure they reflect community and stakeholder input.

The proposed Standards and Guidelines for Breeding Dogs and Cats set clear, enforceable minimum requirements for licensed breeders - including housing, animal care, record keeping, veterinary treatment, and the management of breeding animals and their offspring.

 You can find more details on the standards and guidelines in the explanatory guide and by reviewing the draft standards and guidelines.

The current Standards and Guidelines for Breeding and Trading Companion Animals 2017 are adopted under the Animal Welfare Act 1985. These apply to anyone breeding any kind of companion animal and currently apply to registered breeders. 

The new Standards and Guidelines for Breeding Dogs and Cats 2026 will form a separate and distinct set of requirements developed specifically for breeding dogs and cats under a breeder licence. 

The new document builds on the existing standards and guidelines and draws on national comparisons and similar approaches used in other jurisdictions. 

Regulations under the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 need to be updated to support the implementation of the new breeder licence scheme and other amendments.

The draft Dog and Cat Management (Breeder Reforms) Regulations 2025 were developed following review of the existing Dog and Cat Management Regulations 2017. While most of the regulations remain consistent, some updates and new regulations are proposed to support the implementation. 

The proposed amendments to the regulations include:

• Details for Breeder licencing conditions to support implementation of breeder licensing
• Setting out process for recognition of certain interstate orders 
• Updated cat management regulations
• Other changes to support the implementation of the Amendment Act.

You can find details on proposed changes and additions to the regulations in the explanatory guide.

Business registration was introduced at a time when each council in South Australia managed its own pet registration system, before a statewide system was established.

Businesses that involve dogs—such as breeding kennels or security services using dogs—could apply for business registration with their local council for a set number of animals at one location, rather than individual registration. This was designed so that owners didn’t have to re-register their animals when they moved between councils. 

However, legislative reforms and the introduction of Dogs and Cats Online (DACO) have modernised how animals are managed. All dogs and cats in South Australia must now be individually registered on DACO, with up-to-date details that can be amended when animals move between councils.

Removal of business registration creates a consistent approach and brings the legislation in line with current practices.

Amendments to section 63 of the Act (power to destroy cats) clarify powers and circumstances where cats may be lawfully destroyed.

The updated regulation 15 specifies circumstances where an authorised person may destroy a cat. These circumstances have been moved from legislation into regulations to provide greater clarity and enable future modifications if required. 

Currently, under the Act, only an unidentified cat may be seized. Regulation 16 will allow a council to seize an identified cat if:

• the council has a by-law requiring cats to be controlled, secured or confined; and 
• the cat is not controlled, secured or confined as required by the by-law. 

 This section supports local councils in enforcing cat control by-laws.

In 2024, consultation was undertaken on proposed reforms to the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995, which proposed changes to cat management laws in our state.

Feedback was received from a wide variety of stakeholders, local government, RSPCA SA, Animal Welfare League, veterinarians and the public. A summary of the feedback has been provided through the consultation report.

Feedback highlighted the need for further work to be undertaken to make sure the solution is appropriate for stakeholders and the community. Further consultation is planned to support the next steps in cat management. 

Managing cats is complex with responsibilities shared between individuals, local, state and federal government, as well as non-government parties. 

A combined approach is needed to protect and manage all cats, while considering the social, environmental and economic impacts they contribute to.

Work has commenced on a statewide Cat Management Strategy, with input from a community reference group comprising key industry stakeholders, including local and state government, rescue organisations, and community representatives. Further work on the strategy is planned, with additional consultation anticipated to support its ongoing development.