How to avoid puppy farms

The short version

• Visit where the puppy was raised, and see its mother. The RSPCA says visiting the breeding property, seeing the parents and following its Smart Buyer’s Guides is the best way to avoid a puppy farm (PDF). A video call is a first look, not a check.
• Meet before you pay anything, including a deposit. Animal Welfare Victoria advises meeting the puppy, and its parents if you can, before you agree to buy or leave a deposit. Meet the seller, the puppy and its mother in person first. Read how deposit scams work.
• Walk away from the warning signs, such as a seller who won’t let you visit, can’t show you the mother, or offers to meet in a car park or deliver. See the signs.
• Check the breeder’s number, but don’t stop there. Looking it up shows whether it’s on the state’s register. It doesn’t show it’s this seller’s, or how the dogs are kept. Check a number yourself.
• Think about adopting. Shelters and rescues rehome puppies too. See rescue and adoption.

What is a puppy farm?

The RSPCA defines a puppy farm as “an intensive dog breeding facility, operating under inadequate conditions” (RSPCA Knowledgebase). The RSPCA lists the problems:

• not enough food, water, shelter or space
• dirty, crowded housing, and constant fear and stress
• little or no vet care, worming or vaccination
• puppies taken from their mother too early, and not socialised
• careless breeding that passes on inherited disease.

The RSPCA says dogs kept and bred on puppy farms can have long-term behaviour and health problems. For you, that can mean a sick or fearful puppy, and vet bills.

Puppy farms are usually large commercial operations. But size isn’t the test. The RSPCA says poor conditions can exist in small breeding setups too, run for profit or not. It calls this backyard breeding. What matters is how the dogs are kept.

The RSPCA says any kind of dog can come from a puppy farm, including crossbreeds such as cavoodles and purebreds such as French bulldogs. It says puppy farms may sell online, through pet shops, at markets, or from a house used as a “shopfront”, so buyers don’t see where the dogs really live.

Cats are bred this way too. The RSPCA calls these kitten farms.

Signs of a puppy farm

How can you tell if a breeder is a puppy farm? No single sign proves it. But several together are a reason to walk away.

• You can’t visit where the puppy was raised. The RSPCA calls a breeder who’s reluctant to let you visit a big red flag (Smart Puppy and Dog Buyer’s Guide (PDF)).
• They offer to meet somewhere else, or to deliver. A car park, a park or another house hides the real conditions. In Victoria, it’s illegal to sell pets in a public place without a permit.
• You can’t meet the mother. The RSPCA says to insist on meeting the puppy’s mother, and the father if possible.
• They’ll let the puppy go home before 8 weeks old. The RSPCA says no reputable seller would, and that several states and territories prohibit it. The puppies should stay with their mother until they’re at least 8 weeks old.
• There are no vet records. A good breeder can show you the vet check, vaccinations, worming and microchip on paper.
• You’re pushed to pay first. A deposit before you’ve seen the puppy and its mother, or pressure to decide on the spot. Pay nothing until you’ve met them in person, and read our pet scams guide first.
• The ad says very little. No microchip, vaccination or desexing details, or no state number where the law requires one.
• The seller advertises several breeds, or litter after litter. The Australian Pet Welfare Foundation suggests checking ads for either. A good breeder plans each litter (see question 6).

Visit before you buy

The RSPCA says the best way to avoid buying from a puppy or kitten farm is to visit the breeding property, see the animal’s parents, and follow its Smart Buyer’s Guides for puppies and dogs (PDF) and kittens and cats (PDF).

When you visit:

• See where the puppies actually live. You may meet the puppy in a lounge room, but ask where it sleeps. Look for bedding, food bowls and toys.
• Meet the mother, and the father if he’s there. Do they look healthy, and relaxed with people?
• Look at the space. Is it clean, without bad smells? Is there room to move and play, and fresh water?
• Watch the puppies. Are they friendly and curious, or fearful?
• Take your time. You don’t have to decide on the day.

A video call isn’t enough. The RSPCA’s rule is never to buy an animal without meeting it in person. A camera shows only what the seller points it at.

Questions to ask a breeder

Good breeders expect questions. They’ll ask you some too, to make sure you and the puppy suit each other. Ask:

1. What health tests have both parents had? Ask to see the results, and what they mean for the breed. “Parents DNA tested” means little without proof. Your vet can tell you which tests matter for the breed.
2. Has the puppy been vet checked, vaccinated and wormed? Ask for the vet’s paperwork.
3. What’s this puppy’s microchip number? Each puppy should have its own. At handover, ask for the microchip certificate and a signed change of ownership form, as Animal Welfare Victoria advises.
4. What’s your state number? A source number in Victoria, a breeder identification number (BIN) in NSW, a supply number in Queensland, a Dogs and Cats Online (DACO) number in South Australia, or a breeding licence number in the ACT. Look it up yourself.
5. How old is the mother, and how many litters has she had?
6. Was this litter planned? The RSPCA says a responsible breeder plans each litter (PDF), and knows they can find good homes for the puppies before breeding.
7. How have the puppies been socialised? With people, other animals, and everyday noises such as the vacuum cleaner.
8. What’s in the puppy pack? Vet records, the microchip papers, and advice on food, care and registration.
9. Will you take the dog back? The RSPCA says a responsible breeder takes a dog back within a set time after sale, and accepts dogs returned for inherited problems at any time.
10. Can you give me references? Such as previous owners, or the breeder’s vet.

The RSPCA’s Smart Puppy and Dog Buyer’s Guide (PDF) has the full checklist. Take it with you when you visit.

What a breeder’s number does and doesn’t tell you

A breeder’s number is worth checking before you pay. But know what it shows.

What it shows. Whether the number is on the state’s register. In Victoria, the register’s search also shows whether a source number is active and, for an active number, the holder’s council area and sometimes a name. If that area doesn’t match where the seller says they live, ask why. In NSW, Queensland and South Australia, the number on an ad is usually the breeder’s own.

What it doesn’t show:

• how the dogs are kept, or whether the breeder follows the code of practice
• whether the puppy is healthy
• whether the number belongs to the person you’re talking to. Victoria’s public register doesn’t always show a name, and a scammer can copy a real breeder’s number, and their name, from another ad.

An individual gets a source number by enrolling on the register and paying a yearly fee. Animal Welfare Victoria’s register FAQs say the register makes dogs and cats sold in Victoria easier to trace. Enrolling isn’t an inspection. So check the number, then visit anyway.

In NSW, Queensland and South Australia, look up a BIN, supply number or DACO breeder number on the state’s own register. For microchip numbers, Pet Address searches several Australian registries, but may miss chips on the NSW and SA government registries (PDF).

What “registered breeder” means

“Registered breeder” can mean two different things:

• a member of a breed club or association, such as Dogs Victoria
• a breeder registered with the local council or another relevant authority, which differs between states and territories.

Ask which one. Both are worth checking. But the RSPCA notes that being registered doesn’t necessarily mean a breeder is responsible, or meets good welfare standards. A good breeder will tell you which registration they hold, show you the papers, and invite you to visit.

Are puppy farms illegal in Australia?

Not everywhere. The RSPCA says there are no consistent, Australia-wide laws, and the rules differ in each state and territory. The ACT Government says puppy and kitten farms have been illegal there since 2015. NSW passed laws against puppy farming in 2024, and NSW and Victoria both cap the number of breeding female dogs. South Australia and Western Australia have passed laws against puppy farming that haven’t fully started. The RSPCA says that lack of consistency lets puppy farms keep operating.

Here’s what each state’s official pages say about breeding and selling, checked on 10 October 2026. None of these rules tells you how a particular puppy was raised. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Victoria. Anyone who keeps 3 or more fertile female dogs or cats and breeds them to sell must register with their council as a breeding business, and follow the Code of Practice for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Businesses 2014. Members of an approved organisation, such as Dogs Victoria, must register only once they keep 11 or more. Keeping 11 to 50 fertile female dogs to breed and sell also needs the Minister for Agriculture’s approval as a commercial dog breeder, after an application and inspection process. In July 2026 the government announced a review of the rules for commercial dog breeders, including the cap of 50. Its outcome hadn’t been published when we checked. Pet shops can sell only dogs and cats from registered pounds, shelters and foster carers.
• New South Wales. NSW’s puppy farming laws came in with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Puppy Farming) Act 2024. Almost everyone who breeds dogs needs a breeder identification number (BIN) from the NSW Pet Registry. A breed club membership number doesn’t count. A breeding premises can keep no more than 20 undesexed female dogs over 6 months old. Breeders who already had more than 20 on 24 October 2024 could apply for a temporary exemption. Those with more than 50 must be down to 50 by 1 December 2026, and every exemption ends on 1 December 2035. Each female can have no more than 5 litters in her life, or 3 by caesarean with a vet’s approval, whichever comes first. Anyone breeding dogs or cats for payment or reward must follow the Animal Welfare Code of Practice: Breeding Dogs and Cats.
• Queensland. Almost everyone who breeds a dog needs a supply number, and must give it when selling, giving away or advertising the dog. A supply number can also be a number from an approved breeder organisation. Every dog breeder must also follow Queensland’s compulsory code of practice for breeding dogs, even one who doesn’t need to register. These rules cover dogs, not cats.
• South Australia. Everyone who breeds dogs or cats for sale must register as a breeder on Dogs and Cats Online, and follow the Standards and Guidelines for Breeding and Trading Companion Animals (PDF). Laws passed in June 2025, which the South Australian Government says deliver its commitment to ban puppy factories, will replace breeder registration with breeder licences. The government expects licensing to start in 2027.
• Western Australia. The Stop Puppy Farming laws have started for pet shops. Since 26 May 2025, pet shops need their council’s approval to sell dogs, and can sell only dogs from approved refuges and dog management facilities. The parts on approval to breed, and on desexing dogs by age 2, haven’t started yet. The contract to build PetsWA, the planned central pet register, has ended, and the government is reviewing its options.
• Tasmania. A puppy can’t go to a new home before 8 weeks old, unless a vet advises it. The Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2026, in force since 19 August 2026, set care rules for dogs, including breeding dogs and puppies.
• Australian Capital Territory. Breeding a dog or cat litter needs a breeding licence. Anyone breeding must also meet the breeding standard, which sets the ages a dog or cat can be bred at, how many litters it can have and how often.
• Northern Territory. The Animal Protection Regulations 2022 under the Animal Protection Act 2018 adopt no code of practice for breeding or selling dogs. The codes they adopt are for other things, such as livestock, transport and boarding. Council by-laws may add rules, so ask your council.

What a dog or cat ad must show differs by state too. Our source number page sets out each state’s rules, and where to look a number up.

Thinking about adopting?

The RSPCA encourages everyone looking for a dog to consider adopting first, from the RSPCA or another reputable shelter or rescue. The RSPCA says its dogs and puppies are vet checked, vaccinated, wormed, desexed and microchipped, as appropriate, before adoption.

If you have your heart set on a breed, shelters and rescues can have particular breeds too, and some rescues focus on just one. You can also adopt from an owner who’s rehoming their dog. You can still visit and ask the same questions. Rehoming your own pet? See rehome a pet.

Once listings open, rescues and shelters can list on Pet Sales Australia too. Free to list. Once we’ve checked the organisation, the $9.95 ID check is free for the person who runs its account. See rescue and adoption. For every option side by side, read where to buy a puppy.

If your puppy may have come from a puppy farm

• See a vet soon, and keep the vet’s notes.
• Screenshot the ad, and keep your messages and receipt.
• Raise any problem with the seller in writing. The NSW Government’s buying a pet page says a pet bought from a business comes with consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law. That page and Western Australia’s Consumer Protection both say the guarantees don’t cover a one-off sale by a private seller. Your state or territory’s fair trading or consumer affairs office can explain your rights.
• Report it if you’re worried about the animals still there, as below.

How to report a puppy farm

If someone is in immediate danger, call 000.

If an animal is suffering, report it to the RSPCA or the animal welfare authority in the state or territory where the animal is.

The RSPCA’s reporting page lists every state’s contacts.

Other places to report:

• A breeder that may not be registered: the local council where the breeder is (in the ACT, Access Canberra). The RSPCA suggests asking the council whether breeders there must register.
• A NSW ad that seems to leave out its identification number on purpose: RSPCA NSW (see the table). It suggests first asking the seller in case it’s a typo, and looking the number up on the NSW Pet Registry.
• A Victorian breeding business or pet shop: the council where it operates, or RSPCA Victoria, as Agriculture Victoria advises.
• A Victorian ad without a source number or microchip number: Animal Welfare Victoria, through the Pet Exchange Register (“report an advertising concern”).
• A Queensland breeder or ad without a supply number: the Queensland Dog Breeder Register.
• Anything on Pet Sales Australia: Report a Concern says who to contact, or email info@petsales.net.au with “Welfare concern” in the subject. Once listings open, you can also use “Report This Listing” on a listing.

Give as much detail as you can: a link to the ad, screenshots, the seller’s name and numbers, the address, and what you saw and when. If you report to us, we may give the relevant authority your report and your contact details, so they can ask you about it (Privacy Policy). Claude, an AI assistant made by Anthropic in the United States, reads every email sent to info@petsales.net.au, so your email goes to Anthropic, but not the files attached to it.

Can puppy farms list on Pet Sales Australia?

We can’t promise a seller here isn’t a puppy farm. We don’t visit breeders, and a listing can’t show how a puppy was raised. Listings open soon. From then, these rules apply to every listing (listing rules):

• Every seller must pass an ID check before their first listing goes live, and it must still be current. It makes listing under a false name harder. It doesn’t prove the seller is honest or owns the animal, that the animal exists or is healthy, or that the person messaging you is the person on the ID.
• Victorian dog and cat listings can’t go live until Animal Welfare Victoria’s Pet Exchange Register says the source number is active. That includes sellers elsewhere who’ll sell to Victorian buyers. An upcoming litter needs one once it’s listed as a born litter. We check again when a listing is edited, and regularly after that. If the register says the number isn’t active, the listing comes off the site until it’s fixed. A number can lapse between our checks, so look it up yourself before you pay.
• Other numbers a state’s law requires, and microchip numbers, must be there and in the right format. On a NSW puppy litter up to 8 weeks old, the chip number may be the mother’s, labelled as hers. Look them up yourself before you pay.
• The go-home date for a puppy or kitten must be at least 8 weeks after the date of birth the seller enters, even if a vet says it could be sooner. That tests what the seller entered, not the animal’s real age.
• Some animals can’t be listed, including restricted dog breeds and their crosses, and dogs and cats sold as “teacup” or “micro”. Listing text that gives an age under 8 weeks, or uses the words fight, crop or dock, isn’t published. Our screening can miss other spellings and wordings, so report anything you see. See what can’t be listed.
• Pet shops can’t list.
• Anyone can report a listing. We reply within 2 working days to say we’ve got your report. We may pass a seller’s details, and their animals’ details, to animal welfare authorities, councils or police after a report of, or if we suspect, poor animal welfare or a breach of animal welfare, sale or advertising laws.

From the day listings open, our system checks what sellers enter, before a listing goes live and while it’s up. That isn’t an inspection, and we don’t hold or protect payments. That’s why the visit, and the questions above, still matter.

Breeding responsibly and want to list? See selling on Pet Sales Australia.

When listings open, start with puppies for sale or kittens for sale. Until then, take this guide with you, and check the number on any ad you find.