Written question asked by Mike Thornton (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 9 December 2014, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 December 2014. It was answered by George Eustice (Conservative) on Wednesday, 17 December 2014 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken, since the debate in the House on legislation of the sale of puppies and kittens on 4 September 2014, to brief local authorities on the requirements for people in the business of breeding dogs to obtain a relevant licence.

Answer: As I promised during the debate, my Department has written to all local authorities reminding them that the overriding factor when considering whether a dog breeder should be licensed is whether they are in the business of breeding and selling dogs. We also pointed out that local authorities can add conditions to individual pet shop licences restricting the species of animals sold. I have placed a copy of the letter in the House libraries.

Secondary information