Generally the law accepts that dog owners will from time-to-time
allow their pet dog to have a litter of puppies. However
where four or more litters are bred during a year with a view to
selling them you will require a licence.
Before being granted a licence the applicant must be able to
demonstrate to the Licensing Service that:
- The dogs will at all times be kept in
accommodation that is suitable in respect of construction, size of
quarters, number of occupants, exercising facilities, temperature,
lighting, ventilation and cleanliness;
- The dogs will be adequately supplied with
suitable food, drink and bedding material, adequately exercised,
and (so far as is necessary) visited at suitable intervals;
- All reasonable precautions will be taken to
prevent and control the spread amongst the dogs of infectious or
contagious diseases, including the provision of isolation
facilities;
- Appropriate steps will be taken for the
protection of the dogs in case of fire or other emergency,
including the provision of suitable and sufficient fire fighting
equipment;
- All appropriate steps will be taken to ensure
that the dogs will be provided with suitable food drink and bedding
material and adequately exercised when being transported to or from
the breeding establishment
- Bitches are not mated if they are less than
one year old and do not give birth to more that 6 litters of
puppies each;
- That bitches do not give birth to more than
one litter a year;
- That accurate records are kept.
A licence may be refused or withheld on other grounds such
as that the conditions are not suitable for the breeding of
dogs.
Special conditions that are only applicable to your premises may
be attached to a licence where they are considered appropriate.
If you are not sure whether you require a licence please
contact the Licensing Service.
For details of the cost and how to pay please see our fees and payments page.
If you wish to apply for a licence you can either: