Regulations for Opening & Maintaining a Kennel or Cattery

Welcome to the World Animal Lineage Association (WALA). Review the official operational standards, ownership rights, and registry requirements governing active breeders.

Payment Window

48 Hours Confirmation

Portability Perk

1st Annual Fee Waived

Digital Delivery

Up to 2 Business Days

Registry Governance Commitment

Registering your kennel or cattery is the foundational step toward becoming a recognized breeder within our global digital lineage system. All breeders are legally bound to comply with the 12 regulatory articles set forth below.

Official Breeder Regulations

Click on any section to review full registry rules and requirements.

01 Puppy/Kitten Naming & Kennel/Cattery Affix Association

A puppy or kitten's registered name is permanently linked to the affix (registered name) of the kennel or cattery to which its dam belongs. The owner of the kennel or cattery must be the registered legal owner of the dam at the time the litter is born.

02 Exclusivity of Kennel/Cattery Names

The assignment and approval of kennel and cattery names are managed exclusively by the World Animal Lineage Association (WALA). Our database operates independently; therefore, a name you currently hold in another registry may not automatically be available within our system unless ported.

03 Kennel/Cattery Ownership & Co-Ownership

Registration may be requested by an individual or a legal entity, either independently or as a partnership. In the case of co-ownership (partners), all listed owners hold equal legal authority to represent the kennel or cattery before WALA and may request services or register litters without requiring authorization from the other partner(s).

04 Payment Deadline (48-Hour Reservation Window)

Following application submission, confirmation of the registration fee payment must be completed within 48 hours. If payment is not confirmed within this window, the selected kennel/cattery name will automatically revert to "available" status for other breeders.

05 Portability Perks (Transferring Breeders)

For breeders wishing to transfer their kennel or cattery registration from another recognized association, the first annual maintenance fee at WALA is waived (free of charge). Applicants must present a valid registration certificate showing active status with the originating organization.

06 Processing Times & Documentation Requirements

Processing and digital delivery of the official Kennel/Cattery Certificate take up to 2 business days after payment confirmation. If the submitted documentation is incomplete or incorrect, the processing timeline will begin only after all corrected documents are received.

07 Name Approval & Ethical Review

The World Animal Lineage Association (WALA) reserves the right to reject name requests that are excessively similar to existing names in our registry, trademarked entities, or names deemed offensive or contrary to standards of ethical conduct.

08 Inalterability of Registered Names

Once a kennel or cattery name is approved and officially issued into the WALA central database, the registration becomes permanent and cannot be modified or overwritten.

09 Multiple Registrations

A single breeder (individual or legal entity) may register multiple kennels or catteries with WALA, provided each carries a distinct and unique name in compliance with registry policies.

10 Annual Maintenance Fee

By registering a kennel or cattery, the owner agrees to pay an annual maintenance fee (please refer to our official Fees schedule). Failure to pay the annual fee will result in the account being placed in "inactive" status.

11 Inactivity & Automatic Release of Names

If a kennel or cattery remains in "inactive" status for 6 consecutive months due to non-payment of annual fees, the registered name will automatically be released by our system and made available for registration by other interested breeders.

12 Applicant Responsibility

The applicant bears sole legal responsibility for the accuracy, legitimacy, and truthfulness of all information submitted during the registration process.

Ready to Register Your Kennel or Cattery?

Join WALA's global registry network today. Secure your exclusive breeder affix in our digital cloud ecosystem.

Submit Registration Application View Schedule of Fees