The State Government is introducing legislation to overhaul laws governing dog breeders including a robust new licensing scheme, limits on the number of female animals per breeding program and limits on the number of litters that can be bred by the licence holder.

The reforms include an assessment system for breeders, criminal background checks on applicants, fines of up to $10,000 for breeding animals without a licence and the ability to suspend and cancel breeder licences.

The reforms also include increased penalties for dog owners whose pet attacks people, dogs and other animals.

This includes the ability to issue control orders on dogs that continually wander at large, with penalties of up to $2500 each time a dog with a control order is caught wandering.

Dog attacks have skyrocketed in South Australia with 503 people presenting at a public hospital in the past year from attacks, while another 1200 dog attacks were reported to SA councils last year.

The new breeder laws will impose a limit of 50 female animals per breeding program, outlawing large-scale, inhumane puppy farms that increase the risk of animal cruelty. Most breeding kennels in SA are far below this limit, but setting it at the same level as Victoria, the strictest jurisdiction in the nation, will prevent large scale interstate breeders seeking to set up shop here.

Under the changes, female dogs will be limited to having a maximum of five litters in their lifetimes and mandatory reporting of each litter will be introduced.

Dog control orders placed on owners who move to South Australia from interstate - such as a dangerous dog order or a prohibition order for breeding puppies - will also be recognised and enforced under South Australian law.

Councils will also have increased powers to manage dogs that persistently wander in their districts.

Quotes

Attributable to Susan Close

The Malinauskas Government is delivering on its commitment to eradicate puppy factories and prevent any such operations setting up in South Australia.

When you get a new family dog, you deserve to know that the puppy came from a healthy and cared for mother.

These new laws will ensure that puppy factories with hundreds of dogs are prohibited in our state.

We want to send a clear message that putting profits before animals in South Australia will not be tolerated.

South Australians love their dogs but hundreds of people are being bitten by them each year in our state.

These new penalties for people who don’t keep their dogs from attacking people and other dogs will act as a deterrent and hopefully bring the incidence of dog attacks down.