The intensive dog-breeding operations likened to the cruellest of battery chicken farms could soon be bitten by stricter ACT laws now being debated. Experts say the dark side of the canine industry makes bitches give birth every six months to earn thousands of dollars.

The oversupply forced ACT authorities to put down dozens more dogs this year.

Domestic Animal Services euthanised 209 dogs this financial year, 20 per cent more than the 172 dogs put down in 2008-09.

A greater number of puppies from interstate farms are also ending up in the ACT. The territory's 96 per cent success rate at finding homes for orphaned animals is putting more pressure on the ACT as Canberrans save dogs from NSW.

RSPCA ACT chief executive Michael Linke said, ''We've had a lot of people rescuing dogs on death row in Goulburn or Yass and handing them to us.

''Or people from places like Cooma will come into the ACT to surrender their dogs because they know about our re-homing rates.

''We're dealing with 20 per cent more animals than five years ago.''

Pet owners no longer wanting to look after their dogs are waiting as long as three months to get their canines into the RSPCA, according to Ginninderra MLA Mary Porter.

Ms Porter outlined possible changes to laws this week to regulate the companion animal industry. The MLA wants laws to make it compulsory for published dog advertisements to contain the breeder's specifics, including address and identification number.

She will issue a discussion paper by August and plans to push through the first mandatory code for animal owners in Australia. ''The RSPCA is at capacity in terms of sheltering unwanted dogs,'' Ms Porter said.

''I anticipate a mandatory code would ultimately apply to all sellers of companion animals, and will seek to apply practical measures that cover sales advertised on the internet or in the printed media, as well as in pet stores.''

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times.