What breeders tell us about their practices

Breeders on Perfect Pets answer a detailed questionnaire about their breeding practices. Their answers are displayed publicly on their profile and listings in the 'Practices and Standards' section, giving you transparent insight into how they operate — before you even make contact.

The questionnaire covers key areas including:

• Health testing and screening practices for their breed
• Socialisation and enrichment — how they raise puppies and kittens to be well-adjusted pets
• Compliance with recommended breeding age, litter frequency, and retirement age
• Home placement — how they screen families to make sure their animals go to the right homes
• Conditions of sale, health guarantees, contracts, and desexing agreements
• Ongoing support and re-homing commitments — whether they'll take an animal back if circumstances change
• Breed club and association memberships
• Whether they have ever been suspended, in breach of their registering body's code of ethics, or convicted of an animal welfare offence

We also collect the number of breeding females each breeder has — this information is not published, but it helps us identify large-scale operations that don't belong on our platform.

These answers help you assess whether a breeder's practices align with your values and expectations. They also highlight the important questions you should ask when talking to a breeder. For more on that, see our tips and advice when contacting a breeder page.

Dog and cat breeders are often referred to as 'registered breeders' when they are members of a breed association or club which operates a stud book or register or other breeder association. For example, registration with a nationally recognised State Registering Body (eg, Dogs NSW, Dogs QLD). Sometimes 'Registered breeder' or 'recognised breeder' is referred to when someone has a different type of registration with a local council where rules and guidelines can vary from region to region, council to council.

We work with official registering bodies, as well as State and Territory governments (where applicable) to ensure that every breeder on Perfect Pets is appropriately registered. Requirements vary depending on the State or Territory and may include a Supply, Source, Identification, or Registration number such as: Breeder Identification Number (BIN), Breeder Exemption Number (BEN), Pet Exchange Register Number (PER), or Domestic Animal Business Number (DAB).

For a full breakdown of what each State and Territory requires, and direct links to official government registers where you can verify a breeder's registration yourself, see our state-by-state breeder verification guide.

All dog breeders on Perfect Pets must be registered with a State or Territory based office of Dogs Australia (formerly the Australian National Kennel Council - ANKC). Dogs Australia supports a transparent approach — one that puts the wellbeing of dogs first. We work closely with the member offices Australia wide to ensure that every breeder has been fully verified before they are listed on Perfect Pets. Dogs Australia is the original and official registering body for pedigree dogs in Australia, internationally respected and connected to all other internationally recognised registration councils (eg. UK Kennel Club, American Kennel Club).

Read more about why we work exclusively with Dogs Australia registered breeders, written in collaboration with Dogs Australia President Hugh Gent OAM.

All cat breeders on Perfect Pets must be verified members of ANCATS (Australian National Cats Inc.), or an Australian Cat Federation (ACF) or Co-Ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA) affiliated body. These organisations represent Australia's longest-standing cat councils, with decades of breed expertise and welfare standards. We work with these councils to verify membership status and ensure that every cat breeder on our platform meets their requirements.

Registration information and supply/source numbers (as required) are displayed with all cat breeder profiles and listings on Perfect Pets. For contact details see Cat Fancy, Cat Associations and Clubs.

We are often asked how we make sure that all of the breeders on the site are 'responsible and ethical'. Every new breeder account and every new for sale or adoption listing is manually reviewed before they go live on the site. Our verification process and In-Depth Ethical Audit involves a number of checks (beyond registration verification) and often includes talking to other breeders, and breed club executives. If there are any signs, alarm bells, or reports, we follow up, investigate and act accordingly. We have removed breeders, and have no qualms doing this if we discover that they are not reputable, not responsible, if they are large scale breeders, or if there are other concerns that means they don't fit with the aims of our site. Our priority is to only support reputable breeders. We find that our relationship with breed clubs is very important, and there are some breeds where we only have breeders that have been approved by breed club executives. If you have any concerns or complaints about a breeder on Perfect Pets please let us know.

For full details on our two-layer verification process, see our verification process page.

• Have planned the litter and make sure that all of the puppies or kittens go to good homes.
• Let you visit them and let you meet the mother and father (if he's around).
• Have safe and clean living conditions for all the animals in their care.
• Be genuinely concerned about the home that the puppy or kitten is going to. They will want to make sure that you are a good match. That the temperament and needs of the dog or cat will suit you and your lifestyle.
• Be happy to answer questions and will make sure you have all the information you need for the short and long term care of your new pet.
• Have had the health checked by a veterinarian - including vaccinations & microchipping, and appropriate genetic testing.
• Ensure that the puppy or kitten is free of intestinal worms and fleas.

For detailed information about what to expect from breeders on our platform, see our dog breeder standards and cat breeder standards pages.

DNA health testing is a vital aspect of responsible and ethical breeding practices for many breeds. With the increase in science and DNA research, there are new tests continually becoming available. An ethical breeder will test their breeding stock for any and all of these tests voluntarily. It should be noted that NONE of these tests are compulsory. You can find providers of genetic testing for animals and collection services here - DNA Testing for dogs and cats.

With increasing awareness and concern about large-scale breeding operations, Australian States and Territories have been strengthening their legislation relating to dog and cat breeders — and this work is ongoing.

At present, guidelines and standards vary significantly between the States and Territories, governing bodies, interest groups and breeders. There are, however, some generally common assertions that uphold non-exploitative, caring and ethical practices that might serve as a guide when researching the breed you're interested in and looking for a breeder.

• The number of breeding females is a good indication of the scale of the breeding operation. Several states now have licensing or registration thresholds for larger breeding operations, and legislation continues to tighten.
• Breeders must be aware of any hereditary diseases/conditions in their breed and must monitor them carefully. For example - german shepherds and rottweilers should have hip and elbow scores on the parents, while in some breeds DNA testing or hip and elbow scoring is compulsory. Ragdoll cat breeders should DNA test for PKD and HCM - the lethal diseases Ragdolls can carry.
• Puppies are not to be sold before they reach 8 weeks of age and kittens before they are 12 weeks of age.
• Puppies and kittens must be vaccinated, wormed, microchipped, vet checked, with information and documentation provided.
• Breeders should ensure that there are arrangements for the desexing of cats and dogs not destined for responsible planned breeding. The age to desex kittens and puppies can be dependent on factors such as breed, size, health issues or other factors. Breeders sometimes organise a contractual agreement with new owners that ensures they will desex at the appropriate time.

For a comprehensive overview of animal welfare legislation across Australia, see our Australian animal welfare legislation page. You can also check a breeder's government registration yourself, and see our tips and advice when contacting a breeder for practical guidance on what to ask.