How do I check if a dog breeder is registered in India?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Ask to see the breeder's certificate of registration from the State Animal Welfare Board. Under the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017 it must be prominently displayed at the breeding premises, it covers that one establishment only, and it lasts two years. Note the number and dates, then confirm them with your State Board or animal husbandry department.
We found no national online register of breeders on 21 October 2026, so the certificate and the Board's confirmation are what you have. The pup itself is the second check: a registered breeder must microchip every pup sold, give a receipt and written health records, and never sell a pup under eight weeks.
How do you check a breeder, step by step?
Do this before you pay anything or agree to a pickup date.
Ask for the certificate before you visit
A breeder must hold a certificate of registration from the State Board for the establishment where the dogs are bred or housed. Ask which State Board issued it and its date. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
See it on the wall
Rule 3(2) says every breeder shall prominently display the certificate in the establishment. A breeder who will only meet you at a mall, a metro station or a roadside is a warning sign. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
Check what it covers
The certificate is for one establishment, valid for two years and not transferable. A different address, an expired date or someone else's name means it does not cover this sale. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
Confirm it with the State Board
Contact the State Animal Welfare Board or the State animal husbandry department, which AWBI says are authorised to register breeding establishments, and ask them to confirm the certificate. Animal Welfare Board of India
Check the pup and its papers
A microchip, a receipt with the microchip number, and written details of feeding, vaccinations, deworming and the attending vet, as rule 8 requires. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
What do the words on a breeder's papers mean?
- State Board
- The State Animal Welfare Board set up by the State Government. It registers breeders under the 2017 Rules and inspects them. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Form I
- The application a breeder makes to the State Board, describing the premises, the dogs and the vet support. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Form II
- The certificate of registration the State Board issues after an inspection by its representative and a vet. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Maximum holding capacity
- The number of dogs the State Board allows at the establishment, fixed by space, facilities and staff to avoid overcrowding. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Inspector
- A person the State Board authorises in writing to inspect breeders. Anyone who is or was a breeder or pet shop owner, or is related to one, cannot be appointed. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Pet shop registration
- A separate certificate under the Pet Shop Rules, 2018 for anyone who sells or trades pet animals, including online. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
Is there an online list of registered breeders?
Not a national one that we could find on 21 October 2026. AWBI's circular of 28 December 2023 to every State says the State animal husbandry departments and State Animal Welfare Boards are authorised to register breeding establishments and pet shops, and must send AWBI a consolidated report each year. It adds that, apart from Maharashtra, no State had reported its progress, or the number of breeders and pet shops registered.
Some States publish the rules, forms and registration guidelines: Odisha's animal husbandry department, for example, lists the Pet Shop Rules, the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, their forms and its guidelines for registration on its State Animal Welfare Board page. Where no list is published, ask the Board directly to confirm a certificate. A kennel club pedigree paper records a pup's ancestry; it is not the State Board registration the Rules require.
What should you see at a registered breeder's premises?
These come from the Rules' conditions for sale and records. Missing several is a reason to walk away.
- The certificate of registration displayed where you can read it. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Records for each dog: breed, microchip number, date of birth, and the names and microchip numbers of the sire and dam. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Health and medical records with a separate vaccination record for every pup, with a copy for the buyer. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- No pups under eight weeks offered for sale, and no unsterilised dogs over six months sold to pet homes. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- A written sale contract and a receipt that carries the pup's microchip number. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
- Questions for you about your home, time and budget: rule 8 tells breeders to screen buyers, especially for large breeds. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
What are the warning signs of an unregistered breeder?
If Pups shown at a roadside, a market or a parking lot
Rule 8 bars displaying pups in public places for immediate sale. Do not buy; you can report it to your State Board or district SPCA. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
If Pups offered at six or seven weeks
Selling pups under eight weeks breaks the Rules. Walk away. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
If No microchip, or no papers until after payment
Each pup sold must be microchipped with its records handed over. Ask for them before paying. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
If An online seller who will not give an address
Online sale of pets falls under the Pet Shop Rules, which need registration. Ask for the certificate and the premises address. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
If A pup that looks thin, dull, or has diarrhoea or discharge
Do not take it home on pity. Rule 8 allows only dogs in good health to be sold. If you already have, see a vet the same day. Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy)
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
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- Meet your sitter first, free
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Questions owners ask
Who registers dog breeders in India?
- The State Animal Welfare Board of each State, under the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017. AWBI's December 2023 circular says the State animal husbandry departments and State Boards are authorised to register breeding establishments and pet shops. A breeder applies in Form I, the premises are inspected, and a certificate in Form II is issued.
How long is a breeder's registration valid?
- Two years. Rule 4 of the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017 says a certificate of registration is valid for two years, can be renewed on application with the fee, and is not transferable. A breeder needs a separate application for every establishment used for breeding or housing dogs.
Is a KCI certificate the same as breeder registration?
- No. The Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017 require registration with the State Animal Welfare Board, and they name no other body. A kennel club pedigree certificate records the pup's ancestry; it does not show that the breeder is registered under the law. Ask for the State Board certificate as well.
What papers should I get when I buy a puppy?
- A receipt carrying the pup's microchip number, and written details of its feeding, the dates of its vaccinations and deworming, and the name and address of the vet who attended it. The breeder must also give you a copy of the pup's health and vaccination records. Take them to your own vet at the first visit.
Where can I complain about an unregistered breeder?
- To your State Animal Welfare Board, which can inspect breeders on a complaint under rule 7 of the 2017 Rules, or to your district SPCA. If animals are suffering, the PCA Act's cruelty provisions may apply too, and AWBI's website has a page for lodging cruelty complaints.
Keep reading
- Animal cruelty law in IndiaWhat to report if breeding dogs are kept in cruel conditions.
- Puppies: care and first months
- Banned dog breeds in India
- Pet registration in India
- Dog vaccination schedule
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Animal Welfare Board of India (Gazette of India copy): Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017: G.S.R. 496(E), 23 May 2017 (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Implementation of the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017 and Pet Shop Rules, 2018 (28 December 2023) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Government of Odisha: State Animal Welfare Board (SAWB): rules, forms and registration guidelines for pet shops and dog breeders (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site): Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018: G.S.R. 844(E), 6 September 2018 (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Cruelty: lodge a cruelty complaint, and the list of cruelty cases (opens in a new tab)