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FOI request (FOIR-854582574)
Dog Breeding Licensing and Enforcement (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026)
Requested Tue 07 July 2026
Responded Fri 07 August 2026***** is undertaking further research into how local authorities are implementing and enforcing the licensing of dog breeders. This research builds on our previous Freedom of Information exercise and seeks to improve understanding of licensing activity, inspections and enforcement practices across local authorities.
Please provide the following information for dog breeding licensing only.
Unless otherwise stated, please provide information for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Where requested, please provide a snapshot as at 31 March 2026.
Where your authority does not hold a particular figure, please state "not held" rather than leaving the response blank. Where figures are estimates, please identify them as estimates. Where categories overlap, please explain this in your response.
Please send your response to UKCampaigns@four-paws.org.uk.
1. In which team or department does responsibility for animal activity licensing sit?
For example: Environmental Health, Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Animal Health, or another team.
2. How many active dog breeding licences did your authority have as at 31 March 2026?
If your authority records the number of licensed dog breeders separately from the number of active licences, please also provide that figure.
3. Of the active dog breeding licences as at 31 March 2026, how many were issued for:
a) One year
b) Two years
c) Three years
4. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many new dog breeding licence applications were:
a) Received
b) Approved
c) Refused
d) Withdrawn
5. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many dog breeding licence renewal applications were:
a) Received
b) Approved
c) Refused
d) Withdrawn
6. For any refused new or renewal applications, please provide the reason for refusal.
7. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many inspections were carried out in relation to:
a) New dog breeding licence applications
b) Dog breeding licence renewal applications
c) Interim, additional, unannounced or compliance inspections outside the grant/renewal process
8. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports did your authority receive relating to dog breeding?
9. Of these complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports, how many related to:
a) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeding
b) Complaints or allegations about licensed dog breeders
c) Other dog breeding-related concerns (for example, noise, sickness in puppy)
10. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports resulted in a physical visit or inspection to a site or premises?
Please split, where held, between:
a) Licensed dog breeders
b) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeders
11. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated but did not result in a physical visit or inspection?
12. Where complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated without a physical visit, please briefly describe the main method or methods used.
For example: desktop review, online advert checks, telephone/email contact, review of licensing records, or liaison with another agency.
13. Of the complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports received, how many were recorded as:
a) Founded/substantiated
b) Unfounded/unsubstantiated
c) No further action
d) Still under investigation at 31 March 2026
14. How many alleged or suspected unlicensed breeders investigated during the period subsequently applied for a dog breeding licence?
15. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many enforcement actions were taken in relation to dog breeding following complaints, allegations, visits, inspections, grant applications or renewal applications?
Please provide numbers for:
a) Written warnings
b) Improvement Notices
c) Fixed Penalty Notices
d) Licence variations
e) Licence suspensions
f) Licence revocations
g) Prosecutions commenced
h) Referrals/reports to the RSPCA, SSPCA, USPCA or another enforcement body
16. How many prosecutions relating to dog breeding were undertaken or concluded during the period, and which team recorded or led those prosecutions?
For example: Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Animal Health, or another team.
17. For each concluded prosecution, please provide, where held:
a) Whether the case related to a licensed or unlicensed breeder
b) Offence type
c) Outcome
d) Fine
e) Costs awarded
f) Disqualification order
g) Proceeds of Crime Act/confiscation order, if applicable
18. Does your authority undertake any online proactive monitoring of puppy adverts, dog breeding adverts or social media sales activity as part of dog breeding licensing or enforcement work?
If yes, please state which platforms or sources are monitored, where held.
19. How many full-time equivalent staff are involved in animal activity licensing work, and what are the job titles of officers undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations?
Please also state whether your authority has a dedicated animal welfare, animal health, animal licensing or equivalent officer post responsible for animal licensing and welfare work.
20. For each officer undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations, please provide:
a) The name of any OFQUAL-approved or other formal animal licensing training course completed
b) The course provider
c) A brief description of the practical element of the course, where held.
Response
1. In which team or department does responsibility for animal activity licensing sit? Licensing For example: Environmental Health, Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Animal Health, or another team.
Answer: Licensing
2. How many active dog breeding licences did your authority have as at 31 March 2026?
Answer: 2
If your authority records the number of licensed dog breeders separately from the number of active licences, please also provide that figure.
Answer: n/a
3. Of the active dog breeding licences as at 31 March 2026, how many were issued for:
a) One year - 0
b) Two years - 1
c) Three years - 1
4. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many new dog breeding licence applications were:
a) Received - 0
b) Approved - 0
c) Refused - 0
d) Withdrawn – 0
5. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many dog breeding licence renewal applications were:
a) Received - 0
b) Approved - 0
c) Refused - 0
d) Withdrawn - 0
Both were renewed prior to 01/04/25
6. For any refused new or renewal applications, please provide the reason for refusal.
Answer: n/a
7. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many inspections were carried out in relation to:
a) New dog breeding licence applications - 0
b) Dog breeding licence renewal applications - 0
c) Interim, additional, unannounced or compliance inspections outside the grant/renewal process - 0
8. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports did your authority receive relating to dog breeding?
Answer: 0
9. Of these complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports, how many related to:
a) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeding - n/a
b) Complaints or allegations about licensed dog breeders c) Other dog breeding-related concerns (for example, noise, sickness in puppy) - n/a
10. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports resulted in a physical visit or inspection to a site or premises?
Answer: 0
Please split, where held, between:
a) Licensed dog breeders - n/a
b) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeders - n/a
11. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated but did not result in a physical visit or inspection?
Answer: 0
12. Where complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated without a physical visit, please briefly describe the main method or methods used. For example: desktop review, online advert checks, telephone/email contact, review of licensing records, or liaison with another agency.
Answer: n/a
13. Of the complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports received, how many were recorded as:
a) Founded/substantiated - n/a
b) Unfounded/unsubstantiated - n/a
c) No further action - n/a
d) Still under investigation at 31 March 2026 - n/a
14. How many alleged or suspected unlicensed breeders investigated during the period subsequently applied for a dog breeding licence?
Answer: 0
15. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many enforcement actions were taken in relation to dog breeding following complaints, allegations, visits, inspections, grant applications or renewal applications?
Answer: 0
Please provide numbers for:
a) Written warnings - n/a
b) Improvement Notices - n/a
c) Fixed Penalty Notices - n/a
d) Licence variations - n/a
e) Licence suspensions - n/a
f) Licence revocations - n/a
g) Prosecutions commenced - n/a
h) Referrals/reports to the RSPCA, SSPCA, USPCA or another enforcement body - n/a
16. How many prosecutions relating to dog breeding were undertaken or concluded during the period, and which team recorded or led those prosecutions?
For example: Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Animal Health, or another team.
Answer: 0
17. For each concluded prosecution, please provide, where held:
a) Whether the case related to a licensed or unlicensed breeder - n/a
b) Offence type - n/a
c) Outcome - n/a
d) Fine - n/a
e) Costs awarded - n/a
f) Disqualification order - n/a
g) Proceeds of Crime Act/confiscation order, if applicable - n/a
18. Does your authority undertake any online proactive monitoring of puppy adverts, dog breeding adverts or social media sales activity as part of dog breeding licensing or enforcement work? If yes, please state which platforms or sources are monitored, where held.
Answer: Nor currently
19. How many full-time equivalent staff are involved in animal activity licensing work, and what are the job titles of officers undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations?
Answer: 1 - Licensing Officer
Please also state whether your authority has a dedicated animal welfare, animal health, animal licensing or equivalent officer post responsible for animal licensing and welfare work.
Answer: No
20. For each officer undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations, please provide:
a) The name of any OFQUAL-approved or other formal animal licensing training course completed
Answer: BTEC Level 3 Certificate for Animal Inspectors (SRF)
b) The course provider
Answer: Institute of Licensing
c) A brief description of the practical element of the course, where held.
Answer: The practical element of the qualification requires learners to undertake and document six real-life animal licensing inspections, applying legislative and welfare standards to assess premises, identify compliance issues, and make evidence-based judgements in an inspection setting.
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