The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (POCTAA) is the principal legislation to protect animal welfare. The objects of the POCTAA are:
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to prevent cruelty to animals, and
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to promote the welfare of animals by requiring a person in charge of an animal—
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to provide care for the animal, and
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to treat the animal in a humane manner, and
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to ensure the welfare of the animal, and
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to promote the welfare of dogs and cats by requiring information about them to be provided when they are advertised for sale.
POCTAA applies to everyone in NSW, including participants in the greyhound racing industry. GWIC Inspectors are also Authorised Officers for the purposes of POCTAA, which means that they can issue directions or lay charges in accordance with that ACT as well as the Greyhound Racing Act 2017.
Government rules when selling or giving away dogs in NSW
People advertising puppies or dogs (including greyhounds) for sale or to give away in NSW are required under POCTAA to include an identification number, such as the animal’s microchip number, in advertisements.
The rules apply to all advertisements, including those in newspapers, local posters, community notice boards and all forms of online advertising, including public advertisements on websites such as the Trading Post, Gumtree and social media sites.
These rules also apply to participants of the greyhound racing industry. When advertising greyhounds for sale or to give away, participants must provide the greyhound’s microchip number or, if the greyhound is yet to be micro chipped, provide your participant registration number.
If you don’t use an identification number, or you falsify a number, you could be issued with an on-the-spot fine or face court, where a maximum penalty of $5,500 applies.
For more information on this legislation visit the NSW Department of Primary Industries website.
Frequently Asked Questions
If a registered greyhound racing industry participant wishes to sell or give away a greyhound they own, the advertisement/s must display either the greyhound's microchip number or the participant’s registration number. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that the origin of animals can be traced.
You can use either the dog’s microchip number in all cases or, in the case of dogs that are not yet micro chipped, use your participant registration number.
Please remember that you must also comply with the Greyhound Rehoming Policy and any other requirements in relation to the transfer of ownership.
The greyhound may be owned by a NSW registered greyhound racing industry participant and therefore will not show up on the NSW Pet Registry. As greyhounds owned by NSW greyhound racing industry participants are not recorded on the NSW Pet Registry, the buyer search function will not operate on the NSW Pet Registry. In such cases potential buyers can contact the Commission to confirm the identity and details associated with the greyhound.
If a greyhound has been retired and is sold as a pet to a person that is not a NSW registered greyhound participant, it must then be registered on the NSW Pet Registry like other dogs. Subsequent buyers will then be able to use the buyer search function on the NSW Pet Registry for the identification number of this animal.