Dog breeders must now register with the NSW government and cap the number of canines they keep, under new rules that began in December.

The changes target illegal breeding and limit the number of non-desexed bitches over six-months-old to 20 per premises, unless breeders gain an exemption.

Female dogs are limited to five litters in their lifetime, or up to three by caesarean.

“I recognise most breeders do the right thing, and these new laws support those who are already doing the right thing by their animals, by weeding out the bad actors," said Minister for Regional and Western NSW, Tara Moriarty.

“These law changes will ensure breeders are held accountable and those in animal welfare law enforcement are given the support they need."

Under the changes, all breeders in NSW must have a Breeder Identification Number (BIN), while all ads must have the dog's microchip and the breeder's BIN if they are born after 1 December 2025.

Breeders must also have one carer for every 20 dogs on premises. 

Jail time and fines up to $110,000 for individuals and $550,000 for corporations apply for breaking the cap on female dogs.

At the Dubbo branch of the Animal Welfare League, Foster Coordinator Janet Rose said they are increasingly seeing requests to surrender animals, mainly large dogs.

The new rules apply to anyone responsible for a dog that falls pregnant, even if unplanned. [IMAGE: River McCrossen]

She said the reforms are barking up the wrong tree.

"It hasn't really taken into account all the breeders that are going to just bypass it with sites like Gumtree," said Ms Rose, who's branch takes requests from surrounding areas including Warren, Bourke and Coonamble.

"What they need to do is not just concentrate on doing checks on the registered breeders. They need to be actively hunting down all these backyard breeders that haven't registered. Saying to someone you've got to register doesn't mean that they will.

"We've just taken in a puppy that someone purchased through Gumtree from someone that wasn't a registered breeder. It was impulse. They had the puppy for a day and then surrendered it to us."

Ms Rose said platforms used by dodgy breeders could demand their BIN.

She also supports outlawing commercial dog farming to reduce the number of animals entering rescue and rehoming services.

Anyone who is responsible for a dog that falls pregnant must have a BIN, even if the pregnancy was one-off or accidental.

Owners can register on the NSW Pet Registry.

Ms Rose said prospective dog owners should go to the Animal Welfare League or their council pound over breeders.