New pet selling law to stop dodgy transactions

The rule will be introduced from July 1.

Cat and dog sellers will be forced to provide an identifying number for each animal sold under new laws being introduced from July 1. Picture: Contributed

CAT and dog sellers will be forced to provide an identifying number for each animal sold under new laws being introduced from July 1.

According to the Department of Primary Industries, people advertising cats and dogs will be required to provide a microchip number, a breeder identification number or a re-homing organising number or face a fine of up to $1850.

The law is intended to "allow better traceability of cats and dogs, promote responsible pet ownership and enable more effective enforcement action to be taken against people who break the law".

Friends of the Pound Tweed president Sonia Trichter said the new law would stop dodgy pet transactions on Gumtree and help owners find their lost pets.

"The benefit of this is if someone saw their animal being advertised and read the microchip number and it had been stolen, they could track them down," she said.

"It will help stop dodgy transactions that want to do give-aways. Half of the animals aren't microchipped and those people should be stopped."