FOI request (FOIR-816486440)

Dog breeding and pet selling March 2026

Requested Thu 02 April 2026
Responded Thu 02 April 2026

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Response

1. If you do not already publish this information publicly and in an up-to-date format, please could you confirm how many dog breeding businesses your local authority currently licences (as of today’s date) pursuant to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018?

 Answer: Two

2. Please provide a breakdown by licence of the number of 1. breeding female adult dogs, 2. breeding male adult dogs, 3. litters of puppies (please indicate the number permitted at any one time and/or within a twelve-month period) 4. other (non-breeding) dogs specified on each dog breeding licence and, 5. the star rating and 6. expiry date of each dog breeding licence currently in effect (please provide this information in the format shown below):

Licence number (alternatively, please provide an anonymous reference)	Number of breeding female adult dogs specified	Number of breeding male adult dogs specified	Number of litters of puppies specified at one time	Number of litters specified in a twelve-month period	Number of other (non-breeding) dogs specified	Star rating	Licence expiry date
WK/202405786	4	0	NO INFO HELD	NO INFO HELD	0	3	03/03/27
WK/202505744	8	0	NO INFO HELD	NO INFO HELD	0	5	19/03/29

3. If you do not already publish this information publicly and in an up-to-date format, please could you confirm how many licensed pet sellers your local authority currently licences (as of today’s date) pursuant to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018?

 Answer: One

4. With reference to your response to question 3, how many licensed pet sellers are currently permitted to sell:
1. Puppies/Dogs - Zero
2. Kittens/Cats - Zero
3. Rabbits - One 

5. With reference to your response to question 4, please provide a breakdown by licence of the number of 1. puppies/dogs, 2. kittens/cats and, 3. rabbits specified on each licence and, 4. the star rating and, 5. expiry date of each licence currently in effect (please provide this information in the format shown below):

Licence number (alternatively, please provide an anonymous reference)	Number of puppies/dogs specified	Number of cats/kittens specified	Number of rabbits specified	Star rating	Licence expiry date
WK/202404022	0	0	CAPACITY FOR UP TO 6 RABBITS ON DISPLAY	3	31/12/26

6.     Since the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into effect a. how many applications has your council received for a licence to sell cats, and b. how many of these were granted?  

Answer: Zero applications 

7.     If any applicant was not granted a licence, what were the reasons and how many were declined for each reason? (Please specify all that apply): - Answer: N/A

·       Concerns about animal welfare

·       Unsuitable premises

·       Application withdrawn

·       Not within council area

·       Didn’t meet threshold for a licence

·       Application incomplete

·       Other – please specify

 

8.     Please indicate which of the following statements apply by ticking yes or no for each statement and stating the number of licences. 

	Yes	No
Have you revoked the licence of any cat sellers in your area? If yes, how many?		NO
Have you renewed the licence of any cat sellers in your area? If yes, how many?		NO
What is the role of the person/s who carries out licensing inspections for your local authority?	To ensure that any premises or activities operating under a licence comply with the relevant legislation and licence conditions. The role is both regulatory and supportive, ensuring compliance to protect the public, while helping licensed businesses operate safely and legally