Adoption & Rescue Prog

A Basenji Breed Network Australia (BBNA) Program

Our rehoming and rescue services are available to the Basenji community in Australia. These resources will always be in limited supply. Ideally our Club would like to direct its rehoming/rescue resources to cases that really need us, eg where owners have abandoned their Basenji and we have taken it into our care, or owners have voluntarily surrendered their Basenji for various reasons to us, or a Basenji is lost or injured. However in some cases we have seen Basenjis end up in rescue because it was a poor placement of a puppy in the first place, or because a breeder wont or cant take a Basenji back to rehome due to its original circumstances changing, or a breeder can not find suitable homes for their puppies in the first place.

It is important that everybody within our Basenji community follows the ANKC’s breeder ethics in order to reduce these types of problems from happening. We have also listed some suggested practices that might help as well.

a) Do your homework on prospective puppy buyers before you place a Basenji – refer to ANKC Ethics No: 20 see below
b) When planning a litter have homes lined up and deposits taken as soon as possible.
c) Keep in reasonable contact with your puppy owners during the life of your puppy – refer to ANKC Ethics No: 21 see below
d) Get puppy owners to sign a Purchase Contract. It is worth the paper it is written on when things go wrong.
e) Be willing to take back a Basenji you have bred for rehoming when an owner cannot keep it anymore.
f) Be willing to assist BBNA to rehome a Basenji you have bred eg fostering, financial, finding prospective new owners, transporting.
g) Consider not breeding every year.


The following 16 points below have been copied from Australian National Kennel Club (ANKC) website at: this link

Also refer to ANKC’s document on: What Does a Responsible Breeder Do?

  1. ANKC 11. A member shall breed primarily for the purpose of improving the quality and / or working ability of the breed in accordance with the breed standard, and not specifically for the pet or commercial market.
  2. ANKC 12. A member shall not breed with a bitch unless the bitch has reached adequate maturity for that breed as determined by the member’s Member Body.
  3. ANKC 13. A member shall not breed a bitch (except under extenuating circumstances) causing it to whelp more than twice in eighteen months without the prior approval of the member’s Member Body.
  4. ANKC 14. A member shall not breed a bitch (except under extenuating circumstances) causing it to whelp more than six times without prior veterinary certification of fitness for further breeding, and without prior approval of the member’s Member Body.
  5. ANKC 15. A member shall not permit any of that member’s pure bred dogs to be mated to a dog of a different breed, to a cross bred dog, to an unregistered dog of the same breed, or to a dog not on the Main Register without the prior approval of the member’s Member Body.
  6. ANKC 16. A member shall take responsible action to reduce the incidence of hereditary diseases in accordance with the ANKC Ltd Code of Practice for Hereditary Diseases.
  7. ANKC 17. A member shall not, within Australia, sell or otherwise transfer from that member’s care any puppy under eight [8] weeks of age without the approval of the member’s Member Body.
  8. ANKC 18. A member exporting a puppy must comply with all current requirements of the Australian Department of Agriculture. (10/15)
  9. ANKC 19. A member shall not knowingly sell a dog to any person residing in an overseas country known to be involved in the utilisation of dogs for the meat trade without first satisfying the member’s Member Body that the purchaser is a member of an ANKC Ltd recognised canine controlling body in the overseas country. The member and purchaser must further acknowledge in writing to the member’s Member Body that the intention of the sale is for the improvement of the quality of that breed in the overseas country, and not for any other purpose.
  10. ANKC 20. A member shall ensure that persons acquiring dogs from that member understand the requirements for the care, welfare and responsible ownership of the dog, and that they have the time and facilities, e.g. adequate fences, sufficient room and proper shelter, to fulfil their responsibilities.
  11. ANKC 21. A breeder shall be expected to maintain reasonable contact with the purchasers of dogs from that breeder and to offer continued advice and reasonable assistance.
  12. ANKC 22. A member shall register all puppies bred (excluding those breeds listed in ANKC Ltd Regulation Part 6, Section 6.2 whose specific colours precludes them from being registered on any Register) by that member that are living at the date of registration. Such registration must include all puppies from the litter on the one litter registration application form and must be applied for within eighteen [18] months of the date of whelping. (06/08)
  13. ANKC 23. A member shall provide to all recipients of dogs sold or otherwise disposed of by that member, written details of; 1) The breed characteristics; 2) Vaccination record and / or requirements; 3) Responsible dog ownership information; and 4) All documentation required by the member’s Member Body.
  14. ANKC 24. A member shall not incorrectly describe nor knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of a breed.
  15. ANKC 25. A member shall ensure that all dogs sold or disposed of by that member are in the best possible state of health. Where a dog with a health issue or disability is disposed of the member must obtain from the recipient written and signed acknowledgement of the condition of the dog.
  16. ANKC 26. A member shall not; 1) sell or dispose of a dog to a commercial pet wholesaler or retail pet shop; 2) Allow a dog owned by that member to be given as a prize or donation or to be auctioned.

BBNA working with the Basenji community to get the BEST rehoming/rescue outcomes for our breed