Guides

Before you buy

• How to spot a puppy or pet scam
  Warning signs, deposits, and what to do if you’ve already paid a scammer.
• Check a source number
  How to check on Victoria’s Pet Exchange Register, and other states’ rules.
• How to avoid puppy farms
  Puppy farms and backyard breeders: the signs, what to ask, and the law.
• Where to buy a puppy safely
  Breeder, rescue, online ad or pet shop, and what to check before you pay.
• How much does a puppy or kitten cost?
  What drives the price, first-year costs, and why cheap can be a warning.
• Are ferrets legal in Australia?
  Banned in Queensland and the NT, a licence in the ACT. State by state.

Looking for a pet? Until listings open, puppies for sale, kittens for sale and rescue and adoption set out what an ad must show in your state.

Selling and rehoming

Free to list. A one-off $9.95 ID check before your first listing. Checked rescues and shelters don’t pay it. See prices.

Listings open soon. Join the list and we’ll email you when you can list.

• Sell or advertise a pet
  How listing works, what it costs, and what you’ll need where you live.
• Rehome a pet
  What your state’s law asks of owners, choosing a kind home, and handover.

Animals and names we don’t list

• Savannah cats: why we don’t list them
  The import ban, the states that outlaw them, and what to look at instead.
• Munchkin cats: why we don’t list them
  The gene behind the short legs, the welfare concerns, and each state’s law.
• Scottish Fold and Highland Fold cats: why we don’t list them
  The joint disease behind the folded ears, and what the law says about them.
• Pit bulls in Australia: the law, and why we don’t list them
  The import ban, each state’s rules, crosses, and what to do about an ad.
• Presa Canario in Australia: the law, and why we don’t list them
  The import ban, each state’s rules, crosses, and how a dog is identified.
• Dogo Argentino in Australia: the law, and why we don’t list them
  What the breed is, the import ban, each state’s rules, and its crosses.
• Japanese Tosa in Australia: the law, and why we don’t list them
  Also called the Tosa Inu. The import ban, and the rules in each state.
• Fila Brasileiro in Australia: the law, and why we don’t list them
  A mastiff breed from Brazil. The import ban, and the rules in each state.
• Are hamsters illegal in Australia?
  Yes, as pets, on the laws we read. The import rule and each state’s law.
• Are gerbils legal in Australia?
  No, on the laws we read. The import rule, each state’s law, and penalties.
• Miniature golden retrievers: what the name means
  Dogs Australia recognises no such breed. What it can mean, and what to ask.
• Miniature bulldogs: what the name means
  Dogs Australia recognises none. The name, and the health questions to ask.