This compliance checklist translates the regulatory obligations into practical steps for owners, carers and facility operators. It focuses on process, documentation, infrastructure and training.
Governance and allocation of responsibilities
- Appoint and document a named “person in charge” for each facility and define, in writing, which staff are “persons with care or charge” at any given time. Use written delegation forms or shift logs to show who had responsibility at material times (reg 3, regs 24-25).
- Create role statements and a supervision matrix so workers who do not meet “relevant standards” are directly supervised by someone who does (reg 24).
Identification, microchipping and vaccination
- Ensure all weaned dogs are individually identifiable (microchip strongly recommended); for unweaned puppies, record identification by relationship to the dam (reg 4).
- Establish a workflow to obtain a veterinary surgeon‑issued and signed vaccination certificate at or before rehoming that records the last vaccination date, diseases covered, next due date and the names of vets involved (reg 5(1)).
- For puppy advertising and handovers, ensure microchip or council registration numbers of the dam or puppy are included in advertisements and provided to the new owner (reg 5(5)-(6)).
Rehoming protocol and documentation
- Before rehoming, complete a pre‑rehoming checklist that includes: date of last vet health check and a copy of the vaccination certificate; answers to the list in reg 5(3) (whether dog is injured/sick/diseased/physically impaired/pregnant/aggressive/behavioural problems); documented basis for any knowledge or suspicion; evidence of “reasonable enquiries” about the prospective new owner’s capacity to care for the dog (reg 5(2)-(4)).
- Provide written care instructions at no charge and evidence of pre‑rehoming parasite treatment for facility rehomes (reg 39(1)-(2)).
Daily health and monitoring
- Institute daily inspection logs for every dog capturing the items listed in reg 29(1) (eating/drinking, defecation/urination, behaviour/temperament/movement, signs of illness/distress, coat condition). Log adverse observations immediately and notify the person in charge (reg 29(1)-(2)).
- Schedule and document at least one daily inspection for normal dogs (reg 15(1)) and at least two daily inspections and as often as reasonably required for vulnerable dogs (reg 16(2)). Keep vet contact details and vet advice letters on file (regs 15-16).
Health plans and veterinary relationships
- Obtain a written, vet‑approved health plan covering prevention, treatment and eradication of common infectious diseases and parasites (reg 30(1)-(2)). Keep a dated approval signature or written email confirmation from the veterinary surgeon.
- Display the name and contact details of the veterinary surgeon or clinic visibly within the facility for staff access (reg 30(3)).
- Document any written veterinary advice that justifies deviation from numeric standards (for example no exercise due to vet instruction, or crate confinement recommendations) and store those documents alongside the animal’s record (regs 12(3), 16(4), 17(4), 21(3)).
Records, retention and production
- Maintain the dog record fields specified in reg 25(1): name/identifier, owner contact, sex/desexing status, DOB/age, microchip/registration numbers, vaccination status, medical/dietary needs, arrival and departure dates, destination and new owner name, and death information. Use a centralised database or paper files with backups.
- Retain records for at least 3 years after rehoming or death (reg 25(2)) and produce them to inspectors on lawful request (reg 27).
- Maintain whelping records per reg 26(1) on the date of whelping, including identification details of each puppy and any abnormalities or deaths. Retain those records for 3 years (reg 26(2)).
Facility infrastructure and maintenance
- Provide shelter and protected areas to guard against predictable extremes of temperature, wind, rain and weather when dogs are left unattended (reg 7).
- If using forced ventilation systems, verify they deliver at least 8 air changes per hour, distribute fresh air evenly, maintain comfortable temperature ranges for the dogs’ characteristics, include filtration for recirculated air, have a secondary automatic power source or manual opening option, and include a primary power failure alert (reg 8). Engage qualified HVAC and electrical professionals to certify compliance and keep maintenance records.
- Ensure housing design minimises disease transmission, injury risk and escapes: durable materials, appropriate gates and doors that cannot be opened by dogs, and removal of harmful items (reg 9(1)-(2)).
- Provide an isolation area within the facility or maintain reasonable, documented access to a veterinary clinic isolation area (reg 31(1)(c)). Ensure lighting for inspection (reg 31(2)).
Cleaning, disinfection and biosecurity
- Implement cleaning and disinfection schedules: housing areas cleaned and disinfected before a new dog is introduced and at least once daily; exercise areas inspected and cleared of faeces before new dog introduction and at least daily; food prep and storage maintained hygienically; whelping enclosures disinfected before whelping and after removal of puppies (reg 32(1)).
- For areas where dogs cohabit with people or grassed enclosures, confirm the exceptions in reg 32(2) apply and document rationale.
Tethering, crating, exercise and transport scheduling
- Maintain tethering logs and schedules that demonstrate compliance with continuous tethering limits: 30 minutes for individual circumstances unless all reg 11(1) conditions are met, and 3 hours maximum continuous tethering at a facility (regs 11, 34). Supervision and swivel inspections should be logged.
- Keep crate logs so no dog is confined in crate more than 10 hours per 24 hours; document dog acceptance of crate and crate dimensions that permit turning, lying with limbs outstretched and sitting/standing without head touching roof (reg 12).
- Exercise schedules should ensure each dog gets a reasonable opportunity for at least 60 minutes total per day and facility dogs over 6 months receive at least two opportunities of no less than 10 minutes each as part of that total, and incompatible dogs are not exercised together (reg 18).
Breeding, whelping and puppy handling
- Implement breeding controls: do not mate bitches until after first oestrous; limit litters to no more than two in any 18‑month period; do not breed unwell dogs (reg 19).
- For pregnant bitches, obtain qualified medical advice on expected birth processes and monitor for normal progress; contact a veterinary surgeon if there is no progress within two hours after straining begins and follow vet advice or equivalent action in the best interest of the bitch and puppies (regs 20-16(3)-(4)).
- Do not remove very young puppies from their mother or litter for longer than the limits in reg 21 unless in the puppy’s best interest; do not rehome puppies before 8 weeks absent vet advice (reg 21).
Euthanasia procedures and areas
- Ensure euthanasia is performed only by a veterinary surgeon or by a person acting under direct supervision of a vet as defined (reg 22). Maintain a separate, private euthanasia area in the facility and control access/viewing consistent with reg 36.
Staff training, standards and emergency planning
- Train staff in observation and reporting obligations; ensure all staff know the emergency management plan and their obligations under it (regs 24, 28). Review and update emergency plans annually and keep copies accessible to staff (reg 28).
- Institute induction and refresher training on cleaning, disease control, handling incompatible dogs, tethering/crating rules, transport safety and recordkeeping.
Audit, documentation and evidence
- Keep dated audits demonstrating compliance with health plan implementation, cleaning schedules, ventilation maintenance, backup power tests, exercise schedules and crate/tethering logs. These contemporaneous records are the primary defence against enforcement action under the various “reasonableness” and “establish” tests in the regulations.
- When relying on veterinary exceptions, obtain written advice that explicitly references the dog by identifier and states the clinical basis for the exception; retain that advice in the animal’s record and link to the particular regulation relied upon.
Review classification and statutory exemptions
- Regularly evaluate whether premises meet the legal definition of a facility (reg 3) and whether exclusions (working/hunting dogs, Minister‑approved organisations, Tasracing greyhounds) apply. If a premises becomes a facility, ensure additional Part 3 obligations are operationalised promptly.
Legal and compliance review
- Conduct periodic compliance audits and legal reviews to confirm that records, veterinary relationships, policies, contractual arrangements with fosters or third‑party carers and physical infrastructure remain aligned with the regulations. Update policies where inspector guidance or case law clarifies ambiguous standards.
By following these steps and keeping contemporaneous, dated evidence of actions and decisions, duty‑holders can reduce enforcement risk and demonstrate compliance with the precise obligations set out in the regulations.