Welfare regulations that specifically establish standards for the care of dogs from individual owners to commercial operators are in place in Tasmania.
The Regulations, which came into effect on 1 January 2017, cover all dogs in Tasmania with the same basic requirements to ensure appropriate care is provided by anyone who has a dog or dogs in their care.
Setting clear standards for commercial facilities to adhere to ensures that commercial operations where dogs may be kept in poor conditions cannot operate in this state.
The Regulations do not impose unreasonable expectations of care on professional commercial breeders or individuals who are already looking after their dogs properly. They set out minimum acceptable standards which improve the ability to address improper housing or keeping of dogs.
The regulations do not limit the number of dogs or puppies a person can have, as dog welfare is not about the number of dogs housed on a property, but the way in which they are cared for. The Regulations safeguard standards for all dogs, with extra requirements for facilities with a number of dogs.
See the Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2016.
Review of Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2016
A review is currently underway into the Tasmania’s Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2016.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania will look into options to better regulate dog breeders for the purpose of improving animal welfare outcomes.
Draft regulations will be released for public consultation in early 2024.