As advised in Dogs West e-newsletter of 19 September 2021.
In January 2021, the Board of the ANKC Ltd resolved that:
‘Effective 1 March 2021, it is the breeder/seller’s responsibility, when disposing of a puppy/dog, to transfer the ownership of the puppy/dog to the new owner.’
Dogs West was one of the few State Member Bodies that did not already have such a Regulation in place.
Although the ANKC fixed a date of 1 March 2021 for the new regulation to come into effect, Governing Council agreed to consider the effect this new Regulation would have on Dogs West operations; to consider an appropriate fee structure; and to provide an option for dogs to remain in the ownership of the breeder on the ANKC database when new owners agree, e.g. as part of a breeding agreement with the owner, before setting an implementation date.
We understand this is an added responsibility for our members and have received a number of queries in the office. Please find below a list of frequent queries and their answers.
If you have additional questions about the new requirement, please call or email the office and our staff will do their best to assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What’s changed?
From 1 October 2021, Dogs West members must do one of the following within 90 days of disposing of a dog:
- Transfer the dog to the new owner/s by completing and submitting the paperwork to Dogs West to effect the transfer of the dog
OR
- If there is an agreement between the parties that the dog remains in the current owner/s name/s, lodge a 'Non-Transfer Agreement' with Dogs West that is signed by all parties
- If I am keeping a dog myself, do I need to do anything?
NO. Any dog remaining in your ownership requires nothing further than registration.
- If a puppy buyer does not want the certified pedigree, do I still have to transfer the ownership?
YES. The ANKC Regulations require the breeder/seller of a dog to transfer ownership.
- I don’t have the Certified Pedigrees prior to the dog leaving. How do I get a dog buyer to sign the transfer?
As previously, you can have buyer sign the ‘Limited Register Agreement’, or the ‘Application to Transfer’, when they take the dog. You can attach this to the Certified Pedigree (signed by you) to lodge the transfer.
- Why is it the responsibility of the current owner to transfer the ownership?
The ANKC Regulations require the breeder/seller of a dog to transfer ownership
- If I sold/disposed of a dog BEFORE 1st October 2021, am I responsible for the transfer of ownership?
NO. Only dogs disposed of AFTER 1st October 2021 are subject to the new regulations.
- If I am placing a dog in a new home but wish to retain the registered ownership in my name (e.g. Breeders terms), what am I required to do?
Complete and lodge the ‘Non-Transfer Agreement’, with the applicable fee of $45.
This will allow us to register the agreement of the new owner to NOT have the ownership transferred into their name.
- If I submit a litter registration after 1st October, do I need to pay the Litter Record fee?
NO. The Litter Record Fee will no longer apply from 1st October 2021. Registration fees will now be charged per puppy only.
- I have a contract with my dog owner to say I will transfer the dog after it has been sterilised. What am I required to do?
Within 90 days of disposing of the dog, you still need to lodge either a ‘Transfer of Ownership’ or a ‘Non-Transfer Agreement’. You can also utilise the Non-Breeding Agreement.
- Will my dog ownership records be made available to government agencies?
NO. Dogs West will NOT share members details unless legally required to do so.
- Why were members not consulted about the change?
The amendment is not optional for Dogs West as it is required by ANKC Regulations.
The ANKC requirement came into effect in March 2021. Governing Council have been considering all the options available since then and have tried to manage the impact on our members as much as possible.
- Is Dogs West profiting from the change?
NO. Every effort has been made to make this a cost-neutral process. Extensive financial modelling was done prior to the procedures, regulations and fees being finalised. Governing Council are ultimately responsible for ensuring the long-term viability of the Association and all associated costs need to be covered effectively.
- Where can I find the relevant regulation?
The relevant Regulation is R11 and can be found in Section R at
DogsWest - Rules & Regulations
Please follow the link below to all the Dogs West forms indicated above -
