The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018: Guidance notes for conditions for breeding dogs – DEFRA
These are the detailed Guidelines that accompany the new Regulations and are aimed at local authority inspectors in England . The Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Regulations.
In order to gain a licence for Dog Breeding a business will need to meet all of the minimum standards outlined in this document. In addition, businesses are encouraged to apply higher standards in order to achieve a 4 or 5 Star rating. Of particular significance for the higher rating is the requirement for a record of lineage, including coefficient of inbreeding (COI), health testing for hereditary diseases and use of a Puppy Contract.
The Guidance Notes are a welcome development towards better welfare standards in Dog Breeding. The use of a star rated system of licensing will hopefully encourage more breeders to adopt even higher welfare standards. DBRG’s view is that all dogs used for breeding and their offspring deserve the very highest standards of care. These Guidance Notes are an important step towards that goal.
