Queensland's illegal puppy farms will be stamped out under tougher registration requirements, the opposition says.
The Labor party says it will introduce legislation for a mandated registration plan for breeders who own more than 20 dogs.
Owners would be charged a $30 fee and breeding farms would be monitored to ensure standards were met.
The RSPCA estimates there were at least 100 illegal puppy farms operating across Queensland, Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
"In the lead up to Christmas, we want Queensland residents and families to know that you should be looking at registered breeders," she told reporters at the Dogs Queensland Showground, in Brisbane's west.
"What we have seen over the last few years is a heightened trade in illegal puppy farms.
"Labor will end this cruel practice."
Dog lovers were often caught up in the trade without realising their new pet could come with a raft of medical issues, the RSPCA Queensland's Mandy Paterson said.
"They don't get any veterinary care or any general care," she said.
"They're usually riddled with worms and fleas. They often have eye and ear infections."
A crackdown on puppy farms in Victoria could see illegal breeders pushed into Queensland, she said.
"We will need to control them up here."
Potential buyers should look out for warning signs, including if the owners asked to meet them outside their own property or denied access to the mother, Ms Paterson said.
The main purpose of Labor's scheme was traceability, Stafford MP Anthony Lynham said.
Breeders would be charged the $30 when they registered through organisations like Dogs Queensland or local councils.
"It's not an onerous fee, but it's a fee that will ensure that these puppy farms are found, and the people who run these puppy farms will be prosecuted," Dr Lynham said.
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