A new report by The Kennel Club, which is being launched in the House of Commons next week, calls for an urgent review of the current dog breeding licensing regulations, which are having a significant impact on both responsible breeders, as well as buyers finding responsibly-bred, healthy puppies.
The report also highlights that many responsible breeders are being discouraged from breeding, following the introduction of The Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations 2018, which has proven to be particularly burdensome for low-volume, high-welfare breeders. This deterrent is leaving a void in the market which is being exploited by puppy farmers and rogue sellers, who simply breed for profit without any regard for health or welfare, or the puppy’s future.
Finding a puppy to suit a potential dog owners’ lifestyle takes a lot of time and dedication yet statistics show, year on year, that many aren’t doing the appropriate research. A quarter of dog owners only spend two hours or less researching their puppy purchase decision, according to research last year carried out by The Kennel Club as part of its Be Puppywise campaign, while two-fifths of owners (40%) fear they bought from a puppy farm after spending little time researching.
A dog breeding licence is required if someone breeds three or more litters in any 12-month period, and/or breeds dogs and advertises a business of selling dogs. However, with the many dependents and unknowns involved, the costs of breeding a litter nearly always outstrips the income and, as such, many breeders, particularly those operating on a smaller scale who are primarily driven by a deep commitment to the health and welfare of the dogs, are being unfairly penalised, and discouraged from breeding, with detrimental consequences for puppy buyers.
The report details a Freedom of Information request project, carried out by The Kennel Club, which found that not only are two-thirds of licences being issued to those low-volume home breeders – such as those breeding one to two litters a year – as opposed to commercial large-scale breeders, but that the costs of such licences vary hugely, from £66 for a three-year licence, to over £1,500 for a one-year licence.
As well as the damaging effects to the provision of healthy, well-bred puppies, the overall impact on the marketplace from these stringent regulations is significant and could see prices for puppies surging and therefore attracting more inexperienced breeders who want to breed for profit, or driving the import of puppies from overseas to meet demand in the UK, which may be subject to lower welfare standards. Recent research, carried out by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), identified the supply of well-bred puppies in the UK as a major issue in canine health and welfare.
The Kennel Club wants to see the Government doing more to encourage breeding dogs with full regard to their health and welfare, and the report recommends action focusing on:
- A tiered approach to breeding regulations
- The implementation of a mentoring programme between those who have more knowledge of breeding, and those planning their first litter
- Introducing mandatory puppy contracts, to help ensure all breeders are adhering to basic health and welfare standards
- Adoption of a Code of Practice for those looking to purchase a puppy, alongside an educational and behavioural change campaign
Holly Conway, Head of Public Affairs for The Kennel Club, said: “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.
“Therefore, 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.”
As part of its commitment to encouraging responsible dog breeding and ownership, The Kennel Club recently implemented its Health Standard, which provides broader support, education and resources, and signposts buyers to responsible breeders more comprehensively than the current licensing model. The Health Standard, developed using extensive scientific research and breed community input, outlines the health testing priorities for every breed, for both breeders and puppy buyers. It is also based on prevalence and trends data, collated over the past decade as part of the Breed Health and Conservation Plans.
The report, alongside more information about what The Kennel Club is doing to encourage responsible breeding and buying, can be found at thekennelclub.org.uk/campaigns.