How to get your dog registered with the Kennel Club of India

The Kennel Club of India maintains the Dog Breed Standards in India. Registering your dog with the KCI is quite easy and simple. KCI registration provides you peace of mind. With your registration papers, you can rest easy that your puppy is a pure-bred pup and is worth all your patience, effort and energy invested. KCI registration is also required for participation in conformation shows and KCI obedience shows. 

Your pup’s registration can also come in very handy if you choose to breed your puppy at a later point in time. 

KCI allows for two kinds of registrations for dogs bred in India. Following  are, two types of registration are available for dogs bred in India:

Litter Registration

As the name suggests this process is available for puppies born to registered dogs. Both the Sire and Dam must be registered with the KCI and bear a KCI approved microchip.
 
The Litter Registration form is available here.

The form once completed, should be sent along with the applicable registration fee per puppy. The fee varies depending on the age of the puppy. The litter registration form should reach KCI within 90 days/ 4 months from the date of birth of the puppies failing which the puppies will be registered in unknown parentage. 

The demand draft must be drawn in favour of “Kennel Club of India” payable at Chennai. If you are not a subscriber of the `Indian Kennel Gazette', it is mandatory to subscribe for the same. You can download the subscription form from the "Downloads Section" of KCI's website.

Single Dog Registration

This category is for dogs that have an unknown parentage. The form is available here.

For single dog registration, the dog must be certified by an authorised person who will provide you a Certificate of Opinion. Dogs registered under this process will be shown to have unknown parentage. Even if you are aware of the actual parentage of the dog it cannot be reflected in the certificate, under this scheme, as the breeder failed to register the pup under the process of litter registration.

Certificate of Opinion:

In addition to the standard form for single dog registration process, KCI has authorized all judges and certain other people to certify that a particular dog is fit for registration as a specimen of a breed. This is the process of “Certificate of Opinion”. Following are some key things to keep in mind for this process:

• The dog needs to be over one year of age.
• The dog needs to be microchipped and the same will be updated on the KCI registration document 
• A male dog cannot be certified if he has been neutered. 
• The dog needs to be worthy of a title of ‘Champion’ in its breed, through a registered club.

The process of Certificate of Opinion is very direct and simple. However, you need to know that mere application does not guarantee that your dog will be registered through this process. The strict standards ensure that this does not turn into a money making scheme. 

Transfer of ownership: 

To complete the process of registration for your puppy, you must also finally fill the "Transfer of Ownership" form. The breeder will typically provide your the initial litter registration documents. You will then need to transfer the ownership of the puppy in your name. This is an extremely important step if you intend to participate in dog shows and/or breed your dog. 

You can obtain and submit the form here.

KCI Paper Fraud

Till a few years ago, KCI paper fraud was very common in the country. There are plenty of stories about how buyers have been duped, conned and falsely promised documents that never arrived. There was also a practice of issuing ‘fake’ KCI papers where no registration was actually done. 

To avoid paper fraud, the KCI has made microchipping mandatory for all dogs that apply for registration. You can get your dog microchipped at the nearest registered Kennel Club or at your veterinarian’s clinic. The microchip number is then updated on your dog’s details and needs to be mentioned on the registration paper.

1. What are a few guidelines you can keep in mind to avoid KCI fraud?

• Ask your breeder for their Indian Kennel Gazette subscription number.  As a part of the process, all those who apply for a registration of their puppies, all breeders must also subscribe to the Indian Kennel Gazette, KCI’s monthly magazine. Inability to provide this is your first red flag
• Ask the breeder for the registration papers of the Sire and the Dam. 
• It is recommended to physically visit the dogs. Both the Sire and Dam if possible and the litter.  Verify the microchip number for authenticity. The microchip number must match the one mentioned on the registration papers. 
• Ask for a scanned copy of the application for registration or the actual registration papers
• Always keep records of your conversation with the breeder/kennel like SMS/call/deposit slip for taking action if you do not get papers.

2. What if the breeder does not give KCI registration papers and keeps pushing the dates?

Unfortunately, you have likely been duped and are receiving false promises. There is no direct process for grievance redressal. Mostly because most contracts are verbal and for any legal action it is really a case hearsay. 
Awareness is key. Read up on process and procedures. Buy from trusted breeders and ask before you make payments. If you have been on the receiving end of a fraudulent transaction don’t punish your puppy for it. Create awareness for others and help them make an informed decision.

If we do not take action and remain unaware, the fraud breeders/ kennels will never give up their malpractice of KCI registered papers. 

Please see below indicative fees for KCI registrations:

Please note the fee listed above these are for reference only. The KCI reserves the right to revise these at any point in time without any prior notice.

Transcribed by: Srishti Bhatia