Fila Brasileiro in Australia: the law, and why we don’t list them

What is a Fila Brasileiro?

A large dog breed from Brazil, of the mastiff type.

• An international body recognises it. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) lists the Fila Brasileiro as breed number 225, with Brazil as its country of origin. It has recognised the breed on a definitive basis since 1960.
• What its standard describes. The FCI’s breed standard (PDF) (the English version is dated 4 October 2016) classes it as a molossoid breed of mastiff type and gives its use as “Watch Dog”. It describes a short, smooth coat in brindle, fawn or black, and thick, loose skin. Males stand 65 to 75 cm at the withers and weigh at least 50 kg.
• Dogs Australia has no breed standard for it. Its breed standards pages for all seven of its groups list 227 standards, and none is for the Fila Brasileiro. We checked them on 11 October 2026. Its register of FCI breeds, last updated 28 July 2026, names the Fila Brasileiro with the note “Banned from Import by Australian Federal Government”.
• It’s restricted overseas too. The UK Government lists the Fila Brasileiro among the types of dog it’s against the law to own in the UK.

A breed standard describes the ideal dog, not any one dog. Nothing we write can settle a dog’s breed in law.

Official sources spell the name three ways: “fila Brasileiro” in the Commonwealth Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, “Fila Braziliero” in South Australia’s Dog and Cat Management Act 1995, and “fila Brasiliero” on the New South Wales Office of Local Government’s page.

Which other breeds are restricted?

There are five. The Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 list them in Schedule 1, item 26, as dogs that can’t be imported:

• dogo Argentino
• fila Brasileiro
• Japanese tosa
• American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier
• Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario

Our pit bull page gives each state’s name for them.

We have a page on each of the other four: pit bulls, the Dogo Argentino, the Japanese Tosa and the Presa Canario.

Can you bring a Fila Brasileiro into Australia?

No. Regulation 3 of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 says importing the goods in Schedule 1 is “prohibited absolutely”, and item 26 of that schedule lists the five breeds. We read the compilation dated 13 July 2026.

A Victorian parliamentary committee’s 2016 report (PDF, 4.3 MB) says the Commonwealth banned importing the Fila Brasileiro in 1992, along with the dogo Argentino, the Japanese tosa and the pit bull. It says the Presa Canario was added in 2005.

The federal agriculture department’s guide to importing dogs (updated 20 February 2026) lists the same five as pure breed dogs banned from Australia. It says mixed-breed dogs are allowed if they meet all other import conditions, and that the Department of Home Affairs may investigate a dog identified as possibly a prohibited breed after it arrives.

The import ban doesn’t decide what happens to dogs already here. Keeping, selling and breeding are matters for each state and territory.

Are there Fila Brasileiros in Australia?

We found no official count.

The same Victorian committee (PDF, 4.3 MB) reported in March 2016 that the pit bull was the only one of the five restricted breeds believed to be present in Victoria. It said it understood the other four, the Fila Brasileiro among them, weren’t present in the state.

That covers one state, ten years ago. None of the government pages we read says whether any Fila Brasileiro is in Australia today. The laws below apply to one all the same.

Is the Fila Brasileiro legal in your state or territory?

The states differ on how a dog’s breed is decided. In the Acts we read, no test is what a dog was sold as.

Penalties are given as each Act states them. Where an Act counts in penalty units, we give the number of units, and a dollar figure only where the regulator gives one.

Victoria

• Selling or giving one away is an offence, with a penalty of 5 penalty units. There’s a narrow exception for close family after an owner dies. The Act’s meaning of “sell” includes offering or exposing a dog for sale. Its restricted breed rules don’t use the word “advertise”. Breeding from one is an offence too.
• Keeping one isn’t banned, if the council registers the dog and the owner meets strict rules, such as desexing, a special collar, warning signs, escape-proof housing, and a muzzle and leash outside the property. Animal Welfare Victoria (page updated 12 August 2026) lists them.
• A council officer can declare a dog a restricted breed dog. The owner has 14 days to ask the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a review.
• If you can’t keep one, you can surrender it to the council, or to the pound that works for it, so that it can be put down.

Source: Domestic Animals Act 1994 (version 093, in force from 30 September 2026), s3, s10A, s17, s41EB, s41K, s98 and s98A; Wildlife Act 1975, s3(1).

New South Wales

• Selling one, advertising one for sale, giving one away, accepting one and letting one breed are offences. Each has a maximum of 150 penalty units, which the Office of Local Government gives as $16,500.
• Keeping one. A restricted dog that’s already owned must be desexed, registered, kept in a certified enclosure, muzzled and leashed outside it, and covered by an annual permit.
• A council officer can move to declare a dog a restricted dog, including a cross. The officer can’t declare the dog if, within 28 days, the owner gives them an approved breed assessor’s written statement that it isn’t one of the breeds or a cross of one. The Act says a declaration is final and isn’t subject to appeal or review. The council whose officer made it can revoke it.
• A dog a council officer declares can be seized, and an officer can authorise its destruction. The Act has an exception for some dogs registered before the declaration rules of the 2005 amendment began.
• If you can’t keep one, you can surrender it to a council pound or an approved animal welfare organisation.

Source: Companion Animals Act 1998 (current version for 21 November 2024 to date), s5, s11D, s55, s56, s57A to s57D and s58A to s58D; the Office of Local Government’s pages on restricted dogs and their control requirements (each updated 1 July 2024).

Queensland

• Owning one is an offence, unless the person has a reasonable excuse. The maximum penalty is 150 penalty units. The Queensland Government (page updated 3 September 2026) says five breeds, the Fila Brasileiro among them, have been prohibited from being owned since 28 August 2024.
• The exceptions. An assistance animal is a reasonable excuse. A dog that already had a restricted dog permit isn’t treated as a prohibited dog while the permit and its registration last.
• Supplying one to another person is an offence, with the same maximum. “Supply” includes exchanging, giving or selling, and offering or agreeing to supply. The Act’s prohibited dog chapter doesn’t use the word “advertise”. Giving or taking possession of one so it can breed with another dog is an offence too.
• Deciding a dog’s breed. A prohibited dog is a dog of a breed that can’t be imported. That chapter sets out no assessment or declaration step. The Act’s chapter on regulated dogs says a pedigree certificate from the Australian National Kennel Council or one of its member bodies, or a certificate signed by a vet, is evidence of a dog’s breed.
• If you can’t keep one, you can surrender it to your local council. The Act says the council must then destroy the dog as soon as practicable.

Source: Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 (reprint current from 28 August 2024), s6, s63A, s103A to s103E, s237 and schedule 2.

South Australia

• Selling one, giving one away, or advertising one for sale or to give away is an offence, with a maximum penalty of $5,000. The Act in force on 11 October 2026 has no exception for surrendering one.
• Keeping one. Whenever a dog of a prescribed breed isn’t confined to premises its owner occupies, it must wear a muzzle that stops it biting, and be under a person’s effective control by physical restraint. The maximum penalty is $5,000, and the expiation fee is $750.
• Deciding a dog’s breed. The Act lists the prescribed breeds. We found no assessment or declaration step in it. In a prosecution under the Act, an allegation that a dog was of a prescribed breed is accepted as proved unless there’s evidence to the contrary.
• A change that isn’t in force yet. The Dog and Cat Management (Breeder Reforms) Amendment Act 2025 would add an exception for surrendering a dog to the RSPCA or the Animal Welfare League, and a defence for someone who didn’t know, and couldn’t reasonably have been expected to know, the dog’s breed.

Source: Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 (version 17.11.2025), s4, s45B and s88; Dog and Cat Management (Breeder Reforms) Amendment Act 2025, s2, s22 and new s71G.

Western Australia

• Advertising one as being for sale, or otherwise available for a new owner, is an offence. So are selling one and buying one.
• Giving one away or accepting one is an offence too, apart from a few narrow cases, such as a deceased estate. Surrender isn’t one of them. These rules on changing owners also cover a pup under 3 months old with a restricted breed parent.
• Breeding a restricted breed dog, or breeding from one, is an offence.
• Keeping one. The dog must be sterilised once it’s 3 months old, and strict rules cover its collar, enclosure, warning signs, muzzle and lead. No more than 2 can be kept at one premises.
• Penalties. Each of these offences carries a fine of $10,000, with a minimum of $500.
• Deciding a dog’s breed. In any court proceedings, the Act puts the onus on the person who says a dog isn’t a restricted breed dog to prove it.

Source: Dog Act 1976 (version current from 28 November 2024), s3(1), s26(4), s33GA to s33GD and s45; Dog Regulations 2013 (version current from 24 July 2025), reg 4.

Tasmania

A dog is a restricted breed dog in Tasmania only once it has been declared one. A dog declared under another state’s or territory’s equivalent law counts too.

• How a dog is declared. An authorised person, such as a council general manager or a police officer, can declare a dog a restricted breed dog if satisfied it’s one of the breeds. The owner can appeal to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal within 28 days, and must prove the dog isn’t one.
• Keeping a declared dog. It must be desexed and microchipped, wear an approved collar at all times, and be muzzled and on a lead away from home.
• Selling or giving one away. A person must not sell a declared dog, or transfer its ownership in any other way, without the written approval of a council general manager. The penalty is a fine of up to 20 penalty units. You can surrender a declared dog to a pound or an approved animal welfare organisation.
• Advertising, breeding and crosses. The Act doesn’t mention any of the three.

Source: Dog Control Act 2000 (version current from 1 July 2025), s3, s29A, s31, s32, s32A, s34B and s34D.

ACT

The ACT Government’s City Services says: “There are no restricted breeds in the ACT.” It says each dog is assessed on its individual behaviour, its history and the circumstances of an incident.

The ACT’s Domestic Animals Act 2000 (republication 51, effective 16 November 2025) has no breed list.

Northern Territory

The territory’s Animal Protection Act 2018 (as in force at 3 November 2025) is an animal welfare law. It has no restricted breed or dangerous dog rules.

The City of Darwin has its own animal by-laws. Its page on dog attacks says: “Darwin does not have a prescribed breed register.” We haven’t read other councils’ by-laws, so ask your council.

In the ACT and the Northern Territory, the Commonwealth import ban still applies. Pet Sales Australia doesn’t allow restricted breeds or their crosses to be listed in either. That’s our own rule. We didn’t find one like it in the laws we read for either.

We read these laws and pages on 11 October 2026.

If a council gives you a notice about your dog, the time limits are short. Contact the council or a lawyer straight away.

These laws cover all five breeds in the same way. Our guide to pit bulls in Australia sets out each state’s keeping rules, and how a dog is declared, in more detail.

Are Fila Brasileiro crosses legal?

It depends on the state.

• Western Australia: a mix of 2 or more breeds, one of them a restricted breed, is a restricted breed dog (Dog Act 1976).
• Victoria: a dog that falls within the approved standard is taken to be a dog of that breed. Animal Welfare Victoria says restricted breed dogs “may be pure or cross bred”.
• New South Wales: a council officer can move to declare a cross-breed of a listed breed a restricted dog (Companion Animals Act 1998). For a dog assessed as a cross, the owner needs an approved temperament assessor’s statement that it isn’t a danger to the public, as well as the breed assessor’s.
• Queensland: for prohibited dogs, the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 says a breed doesn’t include a crossbreed. But a council can make a local law banning a breed in its area, and for local laws “breed” includes a crossbreed.
• South Australia and Tasmania: the Acts (Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 and Dog Control Act 2000) name the breeds and say nothing about their crosses. That doesn’t settle whether a cross can be kept or sold, so ask your council.

Pet Sales Australia doesn’t allow any cross of a restricted breed to be listed, anywhere.

Why is the Fila Brasileiro restricted?

The laws go by breed, not by what a dog has done. Victoria’s regulator puts it this way: Animal Welfare Victoria says restricted breed dogs “have not attacked a person or animal or displayed signs of aggression”, but are “considered a higher risk to community safety than other breeds of dogs”.

A parliamentary committee gave the background. The Victorian Legislative Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee said in its 2016 report (PDF, 4.3 MB) that the breeds on the import list “have historically been bred for fighting in some countries”, and that there’s concern, as a result, that they may be predisposed to aggression. The FCI’s standard (PDF) gives the Fila Brasileiro’s use as “Watch Dog”, and also mentions big game hunting and cattle herding. It doesn’t mention fighting.

The RSPCA and the Australian Veterinary Association oppose laws based on breed. The RSPCA’s knowledge base (updated 3 June 2024) says dogs shouldn’t be declared dangerous on the basis of breed or appearance, and that each dog should be assessed on its actual behaviour. The association’s policy, ratified on 4 December 2014, says laws to prevent dog bites should focus on the individual dog and the owner, not the breed. It says breed-specific legislation has failed to reduce the frequency of dog bites in Australia and overseas.

Pet Sales Australia doesn’t describe any dog as dangerous or safe because of its breed. We follow the law as it stands.

Why doesn’t Pet Sales Australia list Fila Brasileiros?

Because selling or giving one away is an offence in five states, and advertising one is an offence in New South Wales (Companion Animals Act 1998), South Australia (Dog and Cat Management Act 1995) and Western Australia (Dog Act 1976). We apply one rule in every state and territory.

Our Listing Rules say these can’t be listed:

Restricted dog breeds and their crosses: American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Perro de Presa Canario.

The same rules don’t allow dogs declared dangerous, menacing or restricted, dogs under a council control or destruction order, or animals offered or bred for fighting.

Listing text is screened as well. The rules on the words we screen say we won’t publish listing text that contains “a restricted or blocked breed’s name”. The check looks for the usual names and spellings. Other spellings can slip through, so if you see a listing for one, report it.

We don’t check a dog’s breed. On any listing, the breed is the seller’s own word.

What should you do if you see a Fila Brasileiro advertised?

• Don’t pay anything, including a deposit. Buying or accepting a restricted dog is an offence in New South Wales (Companion Animals Act 1998) and Western Australia (Dog Act 1976), and in Western Australia that includes any cross. In Queensland (Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008), owning one that isn’t a cross is an offence, with some exceptions.
• Treat the ad as a warning sign. It may be unlawful, a scam, or a dog sold under the wrong name. Read how to spot a pet scam.
• Report it to the site it’s on. On Pet Sales Australia, use “Report This Listing” on the listing, Report a Concern at the foot of any page, or email info@petsales.net.au. Our Listing Rules explain what happens next.
• If an animal is in danger, call your state’s RSPCA or animal welfare authority. Call 000 if a person is.

Looking for a large dog you can lawfully buy?

We don’t suggest any dog as a stand-in for another. These are places to start:

• Recognised mastiff breeds. Dogs Australia’s Utility group has standards for the Mastiff, the Bullmastiff and the Neapolitan Mastiff, among others. See mastiffs and bullmastiffs. They can be listed on Pet Sales Australia, unless the dog has been declared dangerous, menacing or restricted, or is under a council control or destruction order. We don’t offer them as replacements for a Fila Brasileiro.
• Crossbreeds. A crossbreed can be listed only if no restricted breed is in its mix. Ask what both parents are.
• A rescue dog, or any dog. See rescue and adoption, older dogs for sale, all dogs and where to buy a puppy.

Listings open soon.

Before you pay for any dog:

• Meet the seller and the dog in person before you pay anything, including a deposit. For a breeder’s puppy, meet its mother too. A video is a first look, not a visit.
• Ask what the dog is, and for the paperwork. A dog’s breed and parents are the seller’s own word.
• Check the seller’s number on the state’s own register, where there is one. Our source number page shows how.

Pet Sales Australia doesn’t hold or protect payments between buyers and sellers. You pay the seller directly, and we can’t get your money back.