Pet shops
A pet shop is a permanent shop that sells dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, reptiles, and caged birds. The shop can be a self-contained section of a larger business, such as a:
- department store
- permanent market
- stand-alone premises
Pet shops are required to register themselves with their local council as a Domestic Animal Business and comply with the mandatory Code of Practice for the Operation of Pet Shops. Pet shops are also required to provide purchasers with a health guarantee and care information for their new pet.
If you are considering purchasing a pet from a pet shop, you should read buying an animal from a pet shop.
Record keeping requirements for pet shops
In 2015, the Victorian Government introduced new record keeping requirements for pet shops in Victoria. This was part of its crackdown on illegal puppy farming.
Pet shop owners must keep detailed records on every individual dog and cat sold or offered for sale, including where they were sourced from.
This will allow authorised officers from local Councils, the department and the RSPCA to review the information and identify illegal breeders for further investigation.
These requirements were introduced in response to community concern about pet shops selling animals bred in illegal and cruelly operated puppy farms.
Attached below is a fact sheet explaining these requirements in more detail, along with an animal record template document that can assist businesses.