Rogue sellers and puppy farmers are exploiting Government licensing loopholes at the expense of responsible dog breeders, says The Kennel Club

Responsible dog breeders are being discouraged from breeding, observes the Kennel Club (KC), which, as a follow up to its Dog People’s Manifesto of last year, launched a report in the House of Commons last week calling for an urgent review of current licensing regulations.

Measures introduced with the 2018 Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations are proving the most costly — in fact, the cost can outstrip the income — for those who produce fewer litters under higher welfare standards.

The inevitable void in the market is being exploited by puppy farmers and rogue sellers chasing a profit; easily done, when a quarter of dog owners admit to spending a mere two hours researching a puppy purchase, according to previous KC research, and 40% fear they have accidentally bought from a puppy farm.

‘We recently carried out a Freedom of Information request project to ascertain if Regulations were targeting commercial breeders and if the number of licences issued to five-plus litter breeders had increased,’ states the report. ‘Instead, we found that nearly two thirds of licences are being issued to one- and two-litter breeders, and the number of licences being issued to those breeding three or more has dwindled significantly.’

The cost of licences vary hugely between different local authorities, with Defra’s own Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the Regulations documenting that ‘on 1st April 2022, the lowest cost for a dog breeding licence in England was £66 for a three-year licence, and the highest cost… was £1,564 for a one-year licence’. The KC also notes that the vast majority of breeders who register with them — 80% — breed just one litter a year. ‘As long as the licensing regime continues to operate as it is, there is very little incentive for low volume breeders to want to be licensed,’ continues the report. ‘The system is bureaucratic, costly, not applicable to small-scale breeders, and has become a postcode lottery… It has not been effective in tackling rogue breeders.’

The KC would like to see the Government do more to ensure canine health and ethical breeding, such as introducing tiered breeding regulations, a breeding mentoring scheme, mandatory puppy contracts and a Code of Practice for new owners. ‘There are many reasons that responsible breeders choose to breed, including for the love of the breed and dogs overall, to continue a family line, to protect the population of vulnerable breeds, and to provide good quality and healthy examples of a breed. However, we are hearing all too often how these small-scale breeders are unable to continue because of the costs and obstacles involved,’ laments the KC’s head of public affairs Holly Conway. ‘As long as the licensing regime continues to operate as it is, and targets ultra-low volume breeders as opposed to commercial large-scale breeders, there remains a huge market for irresponsible breeders to profit from. It is crucial for the long-term health and welfare of dogs that the high demand for puppies is met by responsible, loving and high-welfare breeders, and we want to explore how these breeders, and others like them, can be encouraged to continue.’

For further information or advice via the KC’s Health Standard, visit the Kennel Club website