Dog breeders are concerned audits being conducted by the RSPCA could have negative flow-on effects for dog lovers across the state.
The audits, conducted on behalf of the NSW Government Department of Primary Industries (DPI), were established to weed out puppy farms and breeders who commit animal cruelty offences.
However, small-time breeders worry they are being unfairly compared to large-scale puppy breeding businesses, which could lead to higher vet costs, higher prices of puppies and more.
Wollondilly Belgian Shepherd breeder Tanyia Richards said she was not against being audited, however she was concerned about being held to the same standards as a business.
"Being audited is a good thing and should be viewed as an opportunity to learn and improve - that is only positive," the Dogs NSW member said.
"However being held to regulations that are not reasonable for a hobby breeder is an entirely different thing."
RSPCA inspectors are visiting breeders homes to enforce the Animal Welfare Code of Practice (COP) - Breeding Dogs and Cats (2009).
"The COP talks about staff and training which is simply not relevant to a hobby breeder," Ms Richards said.
"It was designed to protect animals in puppy farms and large breeding establishments and I absolutely support that but I don't have staff - my dogs are not caged or kept in small yards but sleep in the house.
"It also concerns me that anyone thinks that a minimum of 20 minutes exercise a day is sufficient for any dog - that is setting too low a bar that suits commercial breeders and puppy farmers."
Fellow Wollondilly Dogs NSW Lagotto Romagnolo breeders Sandi and Ray Sharpe agree with Ms Richards.
"When people come to learn about our breed they come to my home, not a business," Mr Sharpe said.
"They are given a complete introduction to our dogs [and] when they commit to adopting a dog from us they are given a lifetime commitment from us. I believe that is the norm for the majority of the purebred community and what sets us apart from large-scale businesses."
Mrs Sharpe said many passionate breeders were considering giving up on their dog sport hobbies due to the level of stress being caused by the surprise audits.
"This may very well have a significant impact on rare and ancient breeds as purebred dogs rely on preservation breeders to maintain the breed," she said.
"If we lose these dedicated breeders, we lose the dogs they love and have dedicated their lives to."
The DPI provided a statement to Advertiser which stated any person in the 'business of breeding cats or dogs for fee or reward must comply' with the COP.
"This is a requirement regardless of the number of animals being bred. Nothing has changed in terms of the rules that dog and cat breeders must comply with," the statement said.
"The protections are in place for the benefit of the whole industry and, most importantly, the animals being bred - irrespective of how many are at the location.
"While most breeders do the right thing - there are a few who don't and that isn't determined by the size of the operation."
The statement also said the NSW Government was undertaking a review of the animal welfare framework in NSW which would consider a number of ways that animal welfare laws and regulations could be modernised.
"Public consultation is an important part of this process and the NSW Government looks forward to consulting the public on proposed new animal welfare laws shortly," the statement said.
Liverpool Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeder Griet Coetzer said the audits could actually motivate large-scale commercial breeders to breed more.
"I am convinced the manner in which these audits are done will cause some ethical hobby breeders to opt out and even drive them to have mental health issues," the Dogs NSW breeder said.
"It would appear that only large-scale operations with sufficient funds will fully conform and hobbyists will be a thing of the past - thus removing a supply of healthy, well-socialised family pets."
Sutherland Shire Master Dog Breeder Association (MDBA) member Diane Becker said the audits should not have an adverse effect on breeders following the COP's welfare guidelines.
"My concern is most of us are small time breeders. Our dogs live in our homes as part of our families, this produces well socialised family friendly puppies," she said.
"I don't have a shed full of dogs out the back of my yard.
"I live within the Sutherland Shire Council area which has some of the hardest local government restrictions in the country due to our beautiful national parks that border our area.
"Some of the COP does not apply to my council laws, I am sure I am not the only person in NSW that falls into this category, so what will happen then? How will the inspector interpret that?"
The Cavalier King Charles breeder said commercial breeders or puppy farms not keeping adequate records should be the first to be audited.
"However, it is impossible to find these puppy farms unless members of the public call the RSPCA and report them," Ms Becker said.
An RSPCA spokesman said the audits were being completed to ensure animal welfare.
"Our communities around NSW depend on us to keep animals protected so we conduct audits to ensure that the code is being upheld by breeders, and not breached in any way," he said.
"Unfortunately, we still receive many complaints about non-compliant breeders who fail to meet the standards set out in the code - this is not limited to large scale operations.
"As the capacity of our Breeder Compliance Unit increases, so too will the number of audits we conduct to ensure that all animals being bred for commercial purposes receive the proper care and standards they are legally entitled to.
"Anyone in NSW who breeds animals is required to comply with the Code, regardless of the size of their business or number of litters they produce.
"We are grateful and appreciative of the many breeders out there who do the right thing and provide adequate care for their animals - this means we can deploy our investigators effectively to find and tackle perpetrators of animal cruelty and keep more animals in NSW safe."
