# How to tell if a dog breeder in Colombia is reputable

https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/how-to-tell-if-a-dog-breeder-is-reputable

By Casa Trufa · Published: 2026-10-07

You can tell a reputable breeder because everything they claim can be checked: they let you meet the mother, hand over the parents’ health test results with dates and documents, sign a contract and never rush you. Colombia has no official registry of dog breeders, so the word “certified” proves nothing by itself.

## In short

- Colombia has no official registry of dog breeders: the Senate report that proposes creating one says so itself.
- The closest thing to a registry is the ACCC, which is private and only registers purebred dogs with a pedigree.
- Always ask for the same things: to see the mother, health tests backed by documents, a contract and the age at handover.
- Be wary of urgency, of a very low price and of handovers in the street.

## Are there “certified breeders” in Colombia?

Not in the sense the phrase suggests. **Colombia has no official registry of dog breeders.** That is not an opinion: the Senate’s [committee report on Bill 002 of 2025](https://www.senado.gov.co/index.php/documentos/comisiones/constitucionales/comision-quinta/proyectos-de-ley/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-periodo-constitucional-2022-2026/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-legislatura-20-julio-2025-20-julio-2026/p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/8995-ponencia-1er-debate-p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/file), which proposes creating that registry, starts precisely from the fact that none exists today.

What does exist is the **ACCC (Asociación Club Canino Colombiano, Colombia’s FCI member kennel club)**, a private body affiliated with the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) that registers purebred litters and breeders’ kennel names (afijos). According to that same report, between 2016 and 2023 it recorded 522 litters and 103 members. That is a useful figure, and a small one next to the number of ads online.

So when a website says “certified breeder” or “registered breeder,” the right question is: **certified by whom, and under what number?** If the answer is an ACCC kennel name, you can check it. If there is no answer, it is only a phrase.

## What should a serious breeder be able to show you?

Seven things. None of them depends on taking the breeder’s word for it:

- **The mother, and the father if possible.** In person or on a live video call, with the puppy beside her. A breeder who won’t show you the mother has no good reason.
- **Health tests for both parents**, each with the name of the test, the result, the date and the laboratory or clinic. Every breed has its own: dysplasia in large and working breeds, the heart in the Cavalier, eyes and kneecaps in small breeds.
- **Registration, where the breed allows it.** For breeds recognized by the FCI, the parents’ registration numbers. For crosses such as the Maltipoo or the Cockapoo no pedigree is possible, and an honest breeder says so.
- **A written contract** that identifies who is handing over the puppy, sets out the terms of the guarantee and says what happens if the puppy falls ill.
- **The age at handover.** Never before eight weeks.
- **The vaccination record and the veterinary certificate**, signed by a veterinarian with a professional license number.
- **Where they are.** A real place you can visit by appointment. Colombian health regulations place breeding kennels outside the urban perimeter.

## What does Colombian law entitle you to ask for?

More than most people think. An animal handed over by a breeder in exchange for money is covered by Colombia’s [Consumer Statute](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1480_2011.html) (Law 1480 of 2011): you are entitled to truthful and sufficient information about what you receive, and to a legal guarantee. The Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) has treated pets as goods covered by that guarantee, as far as their health and their matching the stated breed are concerned.

You can also insist that the puppy is not handed to you in the street. Decree 780 of 2016 does not allow selling animals in the street, and it places breeding kennels outside the urban perimeter. And [Law 2480 of 2025](https://www.alcaldiabogota.gov.co/sisjur/normas/Norma1.jsp?i=185633) does not allow breeding to be combined with daycare, boarding or grooming on the same premises: a place that does everything at once on one property deserves one more question.

> This is general information, not legal advice. We cite several articles through secondary sources; if you have a dispute with a seller, the SIC is the authority to turn to.

## What are the signs that something is wrong?

- **A price far below the market.** Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía) warned in July 2026 that this is the first sign of an online pet scam.
- **Urgency:** being told that only two puppies remain, that the price is lower today only, or that another family will take the puppy unless you put money down right now.
- **A deposit before you have seen the puppy** on a live video call.
- **Handover in a parking lot, a bus station or a mall.**
- **Puppies of many breeds “all year round.”** A female dog does not have litters all year round, and neither does a family kennel.
- **Guaranteed sizes** (“teacup,” “mini toy”) or impossible health promises (“one hundred percent hypoallergenic”).
- **Docked tails or cropped ears.** Cosmetic mutilations have no justification, and the animal protection law penalizes cruelty.

None of these signs proves a scam by itself. Several together are reason enough not to send money. Our guide to [puppy scams](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/puppy-scams-in-colombia) explains them one by one.

## How can you check each point at Casa Trufa?

With the same things we ask of anyone else. The health tests of each parent dog are published in [Meet the parents](https://casatrufa.com/en/our-dogs), with the result, the date and the document. The way we raise our dogs is in [How we raise](https://casatrufa.com/en/how-we-raise). Every breed page has a “not for you if…” list as long as its “for you if…” list.

And we say what we are not. The Maltipoos and Cockapoos we breed are crosses and have no pedigree. The kennel’s registrations appear in the footer of this website only when there is a real number you can verify: a blank is more honest than a made-up seal.

If, after reading this, the right choice for you is another breeder, or [adopting](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/adopt-a-dog-or-go-to-a-breeder), this guide will still have done its job.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I know if a breeder is registered with the ACCC?** Ask for their kennel name (afijo) and the registration numbers of the litter’s parents, and check them with the Asociación Club Canino Colombiano. The ACCC is private and only registers purebred dogs with a pedigree, so it does not apply to crosses such as the Maltipoo or the Cockapoo.

**Is it legal to sell dogs in Colombia?** We found no national ban in force. There are limits: selling in the street is not allowed, Bogotá and Bucaramanga prohibit it in public market squares, and health regulations place breeding kennels outside the urban perimeter. Bill 002 of 2025 would tighten the rules, but it is a bill.

**What does it mean for a dog to have a pedigree?** That its ancestry is recorded in a recognized stud book — in Colombia, the ACCC’s. It proves who the dog descends from, not that it is healthy: a dog with a pedigree still needs parents with health tests.

**Should I visit the breeder before deciding?** Whenever you can, yes. If you live far away, a live video call with the mother and the puppies is the minimum. A breeder who refuses both is telling you something.

## Sources

1. [Senado de la República: ponencia para primer debate del Proyecto de Ley 002 de 2025 (Colombian Senate, committee report for the first debate on Bill 002 of 2025)](https://www.senado.gov.co/index.php/documentos/comisiones/constitucionales/comision-quinta/proyectos-de-ley/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-periodo-constitucional-2022-2026/proyectos-de-ley-y-ponencias-legislatura-20-julio-2025-20-julio-2026/p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/8995-ponencia-1er-debate-p-de-l-no-002-2025-senado-reproduccion-cria-y-comercializacion-de-animales-de-compania/file). A bill, not a law; we could not confirm its current status. The citations of Decree 780 of 2016 also come from this text
2. [Asociación Club Canino Colombiano: Reglamento de crianza 2024 (ACCC breeding regulations, 2024)](https://accc.com.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/REGLAMENTO-DE-CRIANZA-ACCC-2024-.pdf)
3. [Ley 1480 de 2011, Estatuto del Consumidor (Law 1480 of 2011, Consumer Statute)](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1480_2011.html). Legal guarantee and the information owed to consumers
4. [Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio: garantías y fallas en un producto (Colombia’s consumer protection authority, on guarantees and defects)](https://sedeelectronica.sic.gov.co/temas/proteccion-al-consumidor/derechos-y-deberes/fallas-en-un-producto)
5. [Ley 2480 de 2025 (Law 2480 of 2025)](https://www.alcaldiabogota.gov.co/sisjur/normas/Norma1.jsp?i=185633). Article 17: daycare, boarding and grooming cannot be offered on the same premises where dogs are bred
6. [Decreto 780 de 2016, sector salud (Decree 780 of 2016, health sector; text)](https://www.animallaw.info/statute/colombia-health-decreto-780). Articles 2.8.5.2.20 (public streets) and 2.8.5.2.37 (urban perimeter), cited through the Senate report
7. [Infobae, 23 de julio de 2026: alerta de la Fiscalía por estafas con mascotas en internet (news report, July 23, 2026, on the Attorney General’s Office warning about online pet scams)](https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2026/07/23/fiscalia-alerta-por-estafa-con-mascotas-en-internet-asi-enganan-a-compradores-y-adoptantes/). Press report on the warning issued by the Fiscalía
8. [Royal Canin Colombia: cómo elegir un cachorro (how to choose a puppy)](https://www.royalcanin.com/co/dogs/thinking-of-getting-a-dog/how-to-buy-a-puppy)