Do you consider yourself to be an avid animal lover and someone who has owned a number of different cats and dogs during your lifetime? You may be thinking about getting another pet or two as you've now got much more space in a new home. You may even be thinking about breeding, so that you can give some puppies and kittens away to a good home for some additional income. While many people have taken this type of approach before you, you might have to think twice due to recent changes in legislation linked to breeding and registration. What should you know?

Tackling a Problem

It's unfortunate, but there are thousands of stray cats and dogs in any given city, roaming the streets. At one time, it's likely that these animals had a loving home and caring owners, but for one reason or another, they became superfluous to their needs, simply too costly to maintain or too difficult to look after. The net result is that they were dumped onto the street to fend for themselves.

New Law

Legislators around the country realised that this problem was not going to go away by itself and one jurisdiction in particular has introduced a special law known as the Dog and Cat Management (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill. In South Australia, this puts the entire process of breeding and registration into a particularly different light.

Owner Requirements

If you are an owner, then you must make sure that any dogs or cats that you purchase or breed are micro-chipped within the first three months of life. You must also take steps to spay or neuter them before they become six months old, in most cases. Their details will also need to be registered on a special website, so that the domestic animal population in general is kept under control.

Breeder Requirements

Of course, if you are a breeder then you don't need to de-sex the animal, but if that's the case, you do need to be registered with the government. This means that you're not allowed to breed unofficially in the comfort of your own home but must first of all get in touch with the government for approval. In any case, if you were to try and sidestep those regulations, you wouldn't be able to sell the puppies or kittens, as all advertisements for the sale of such animals must include your registered information.

Seeking Guidance

You could risk significant fines if you don't conform with these pet laws, so it's a good idea for you to get in touch with a lawyer who is familiar with them for advice first.