The ACT Government is committed to upholding animal welfare standards and protecting animals from cruelty and mistreatment.
The Animal Welfare Advisory Committee delivers high level advice on animal welfare priorities nationally and in the ACT and oversees the development and review of animal welfare policy.
The ACT Government has a service funding agreement with RSPCA ACT to provide animal welfare services including the provision of authorised inspectors.
If you are keeping or interacting with an animal in the ACT, there are rules you must follow to ensure their safety and wellbeing. These are set out in the Animal Welfare Act 1992 and the Animal Welfare Codes of Practice.
There are also rules for operating a pet shop or pet boarding business.
See below for more information on the animal welfare standards you must follow in the ACT.
Animal welfare offences
Under the Animal Welfare Act, penalties apply for:
- failure to provide appropriate care for an animal
- acts of cruelty or violence toward an animal
- hitting, kicking, poisoning or administering an electric shock to an animal
- abandoning an animal
- unlawful confinement of an animal
- unlawful release of an animal
- not assisting an animal after injuring it
- transporting an animal in a way that causes injury, pain or stress
- intensive breeding of cats or dogs
- using an animal that is unfit for a particular use
- taking part in illegal activities such as greyhound racing, rodeos and game parks
- carrying out a medical or surgical procedure on an animal if you are not a veterinary practitioner.
Additional requirements and offences are outlined in the Animal Welfare Act 1992.
Appropriate care includes:
- food, water and shelter
- treatment of illness, disease or injury
- hygienic environment
- grooming and maintenance
- exercise
- care appropriate to its wellbeing
- opportunity to display normal behaviour.
See the Animal Welfare Act 1992 for more information.
How to report an animal welfare complaint
Animal welfare and cruelty complaints are jointly managed by Domestic Animal Services and RSPCA ACT. To report an animal cruelty or welfare concern, please contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
Rules for keeping animals
Backyard poultry
Backyard poultry
The Animal Welfare (Welfare of Poultry: Non-Commercial) Code of Practice 2010 provides general guidelines for keeping backyard poultry in the ACT. This includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pheasants and roosters.
All bird owners are responsible for the health and wellbeing of their birds, including providing them with food and clean water, hygiene, social contact, freedom to move, health care and a safe place to live.
If you wish to keep roosters, you should consider the impact their crowing may have on neighbours. If not managed correctly, this could cause an animal nuisance.
Horses
Horses
It is the owner’s legal responsibility to make sure their horse is provided with the basic requirements to keep it healthy and happy.
The Animal Welfare (Welfare of Horses in the ACT) Mandatory Code of Practice 2024 sets the minimum standards that must be met for the welfare of horses.
It applies to all horses, ponies, donkeys and mules that are kept in the ACT.
It outlines that owners are responsible for the health and wellbeing of horses, including providing them with food and water, hygiene, freedom to move, regular exercise, social contact, health care and a safe place to live.
Horse trails
There are approximately 500 km of designated horse trails available for horse riders on public land in the ACT. In addition, there are many areas where horse riding is permitted on the extensive fire trail network. Check ACTmapi to view horse paddocks and trails in the ACT.
Livestock
Livestock
Nationally consistent standards and guidelines for the welfare of livestock are being developed cooperatively by government and livestock industries. The welfare standards and guidelines are based on the revision of the current Model Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Animals.
For more information see the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines.
Pet businesses
Pet businesses in the ACT must be licensed by the Animal Welfare Authority under the Animal Welfare Act. This includes:
- pet shops that house or sell animals
- animal day care establishments
- overnight animal boarding establishments.
It does not include licensed breeders, individuals using pet sitting apps, or animals boarding for animal welfare or veterinary purposes.
The licence requires pet businesses to follow the relevant mandatory code of practice:
In some cases there may be more than one code of practice that applies to the business.
Businesses must also ensure proper record keeping to track the buying and selling of animals, including rescue animals.
This aims to ensure that the ACT’s pet shops and boarding establishments care for and manage animals correctly.
Buying, selling and rehoming cats and dogs
There are rules for buying and selling cats and dogs in the ACT. These apply to all sellers and all animals, even if you are giving away or rehoming an animal and not receiving any payment.
The requirements aim to improve the traceability of pets, ensure compliance action against irresponsible pet owners and crack down on illegal breeders.
Selling or rehoming an animal
Selling or rehoming an animal
If you are selling or rehoming any cat or dog in the ACT, regardless of age, you must include the following information in your advertisement:
- if you are a licensed breeder, your breeding licence number; or
- for all other circumstances, the microchip number of the cat or dog and an identifier for yourself (either an ABN or a rehoming identifier under a state or territory, or your name).
This includes:
- online advertisements (e.g. trading websites)
- social media and online messaging
- newspapers, flyers and posters
- any other form of publication or communication that could reasonably constitute an invitation to buy or acquire a cat or dog.
If you are in the ACT and selling an animal to someone in NSW or another jurisdiction, you must still follow the ACT requirements.
You must also provide the new keeper of the animal with identifying information to ensure they can update their pet’s microchip and registration.
If you have concerns around the sale of cats or dogs in the ACT, contact Domestic Animal Services on 13 22 81 or via email at dogcontrol@act.gov.au. For serious animal welfare concerns please contact RSPCA ACT.
Breeding animals
Breeding animals
Licensed breeders must abide by the breeding standards set by the Animal Welfare Act 1992. This ensures the welfare and wellbeing of the parent animals, kittens and puppies.
Breeders need to adhere to declared minimum standards, including:
- the age at which a dog or cat can be bred
- the number of litters they can have
- the frequency with which they can be bred.
For more information see the Domestic Animals Act 2000.
Puppy and kitten farms have been illegal in the ACT since 2015. Further laws to regulate the breeding of cats and dogs were introduced in 2017.
Anyone found responsible for the intensive breeding of dogs or cats can be charged up to $15,000 for an individual or $75,000 for a business.
Animal trapping
You need an animal trapping permit for any trapping operations. This includes:
- commercial trapping, such as a business specialising in trapping and removing pest animals from private premises or public land
- private trapping, i.e. for domestic purposes on your own private land.
It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 1992 to set a trap to catch an animal unless you are:
- the holder of a valid trapping permit issued by the ACT Animal Welfare Authority
- the holder of a nature conservation licence that authorises you to set a trap.
It is against the law to set a trap to catch a domestic animal. However, if a cat is believed to be unowned or feral, a resident does not need a trapping permit to trap on their own private property.
Apply for an animal trapping permit
Apply for an animal trapping permit
You must apply for an animal trapping permit, pay the fee and receive an approved application response before undertaking any trapping.
Complete the application form (PDF 164.6 KB) and email it to TCCS.AnimalManagement@act.gov.au along with supporting documentation.
A trapping permit is granted for no longer than 3 years. It can be subject to conditions, such as the type of traps you can use, the animal species to be trapped and the areas traps can be set.
