How compliance works

Whelpkeep keeps each litter compliant by working from the records you already keep. You add your state breeder ID once, record things as they happen, and Whelpkeep tracks the deadlines and ticks off what each state requires. It warns you about what's missing — it never stops you saving.

All of this is guidance, not legal advice. Always check your state regulator for the final word.

Your state breeder ID

Every breeder holds an ID with their state. Whelpkeep calls this your state breeder ID, but each state names it differently:

• NSW — a BIN (Breeder Identification Number)
• VIC — a source number
• QLD — a supply number
• SA — a DACO number

When you add your ID, Whelpkeep validates it and shows a badge: Check pending while it looks, then Valid or Invalid. A valid ID is what lets Whelpkeep stamp the correct wording onto your contracts and listings, so it's worth sorting out early.

Whelpkeep also tracks renewals and re-checks, because the rules differ by state:

• A NSW BIN is permanent — there's no renewal.
• VIC and QLD IDs renew annually.
• An SA registration expires on 30 June.

Tip — Keep your state ID valid. It's the one thing that unlocks correct contracts and listings, so a lapsed ID is worth fixing before your next sale.

The whelp date drives your deadlines

The whelp date — the day the litter was born — is the most important date in Whelpkeep. Most legal deadlines count from it. For example, a pup must be microchipped by 12 weeks, and have its first vaccination by the time it goes home.

Because so much depends on it, add the whelp date as soon as the pups arrive. Every deadline and reminder flows from that one date.

The checklist ticks itself off

Each litter gets a checklist of what your state requires. You don't tick most of it by hand — it auto-ticks as your records and key dates land. Upload a microchip record or a vaccination certificate, and the matching item ticks itself.

The checklist has two parts:

• World 1 — records and paperwork. These items auto-tick from your records — microchipping, vaccination, and the like. The more you upload as you go, the more of this looks after itself.
• World 2 — care and premises. These are things only you can vouch for, so they're a confirmation you make rather than something read from a document.

This is why uploading records as you get them pays off: the checklist stays current, and you're never left scrambling before a pup goes home.

The stamp

The stamp is the state-correct legal wording Whelpkeep adds to your contracts and listings. It's chosen to match the litter's state, so a NSW litter carries NSW wording and a VIC litter carries VIC wording — you don't have to know the exact phrasing yourself.

What the status badges mean

Each checklist item carries a status badge so you can see at a glance where it stands:

• Done (green) — the item is satisfied or ticked.
• Outstanding (amber) — a known to-do still to complete.
• Needs attention (red) — a cap or limit has been hit or exceeded.
• Confirmed — you've confirmed it yourself (the per-state care & premises attestation). It's recorded as "breeder confirmed", never as a verified fact.
• Automatic — Whelpkeep handles or tracks this for you; there's nothing for you to do. You'll see it on items such as health / heritable-defect testing (informational unless your breed or code requires it), the buyer sale paperwork (generated on the handover sheet when you record the sale), the NSW 3-day return / 50% refund guarantee (carried automatically on the NSW contract), and QLD's 8-week minimum sale age (a guideline, not a hard rule).
• N/A — doesn't apply here (for example, a per-pup item when there are no pups yet).

You only see the rules that apply to you

The checklist only ever shows the rules that apply to your situation — nothing more. On a dam, the items are scoped to the states she actually breeds in (taken from her litters, or your breeder states if she has no litters yet). So a VIC-only breeder doesn't see NSW-only rules.

The animal-level caps and where they apply:

• Lifetime litter cap (5 litters) — NSW and VIC.
• Caesarean limit (3) — NSW only (VIC has no numeric caesarean cap).
• Pre-mating vet check — VIC only.
• Heritable-defect / health testing — general (add DNA / health test results if your breed or code requires them).

Whelpkeep warns, it never blocks

Whelpkeep will not stop you saving a record, a sale or a contract just because something is missing. Instead, it flags what's outstanding so you can fix it in your own time. You stay in control; Whelpkeep just makes sure nothing slips past you.

Where the rules live

Plain-English summaries of each state's rules live at /rules. They're written to help you stay organised — they are general guidance, not legal advice.

What the rule categories cover

The rules for each state are grouped into two worlds — Records & paperwork and Care & premises — and within each, a set of categories. The category names and meanings are the same in every state; what changes between states is the short per-item summary and whether it's a Standard (must) or a Guideline.

Records & paperwork

• Records — the animal, litter and sale records you keep, and for how long.
• Vet care & vaccination — vaccinations, vet checks and health treatments on record.
• Breeding management — limits on breeding itself, like lifetime litter caps and caesareans.
• Whelping & rearing — recording the birth and how the litter is reared.
• Sale & transfer — what must be in place when a puppy is sold: contract, disclosures and minimum sale age.

Care & premises (the ones you confirm yourself)

• Staffing & competency — enough capable people to care for the animals.
• Emergency & security — emergency plans and a secure premises.
• Housing & space — the size, type and condition of housing.
• Environment — temperature, ventilation, lighting and noise.
• Cleaning — keeping housing, bedding and equipment clean.
• Food & water — suitable food and constant clean water.
• Daily care, exercise & enrichment — handling, exercise, socialisation and enrichment.
• Transport — transporting animals safely.
• Euthanasia — humane end-of-life requirements, where they apply.

The short summary and the Standard / Guideline badge under each item come straight from our rulebook, which we keep current as states update their codes. The category meanings above don't change with those updates — only the state-specific detail does.

Next step

Ready to set yours up? See Set up compliance, or read the full Compliance reference.