Dog Breeding Licence
Who needs a licence?
You need a licence if you breed dogs and:
- breed dogs as part of a business selling dogs, (if any puppy or litter is sold for £1000 or more a licence must be arranged prior to breeding)
- breed 3 or more litters in any 12 month period, this applies where litters are sold for low values, far less than £1000.
If selling puppies as a business, your advert must include your licence number in the advert. If you suspect anyone of breeding as part of a business that doesn't have a licence, or for advice on whether you need a licence, please contact Environmental Health.
Government guidance notes on dog breeding can be found on the Government website.
Inspections & star ratings
All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will be looking to make sure the applicant has the following:
- specialist knowledge in the species that they are caring for and a clear understanding of its needs and welfare (including the animals' mental and physical health, feeding and knowledge of environmental enrichment)
- comprehensive records that contain all the information required by the conditions that apply to their particular activities
- an understanding of risks involved ain caring for the animal, including an extensive risk assessment and written policies and procedures that are reviewed regularly
- training procedures in place to make sure staff know what is expected of them and clear evidence of good supervision of staff (if applicable)
- The premises itself will also be assessed against the new national standards relating to the physical environment in which the animals will be kept.
Based on the information, we will assess the risk posed by the business and award a star rating. Low-risk premises can attain up to five stars while premises that have been assessed as higher risk can be awarded up to four stars.
Premises with a lower star rating is not necessarily premises to avoid as there are other factors that have to be considered, such as the length of time the licence holder has been operating. New businesses will be assessed as slightly higher risk simply because there is no history of good practice that can be considered. If you have any concerns, please contact the Environmental Health team prior to making booking arrangements.
Please take time to read the pre-inspection information provided before your inspection takes place to ensure that your business meets the standards.
If you have questions about applying for a licence or about an existing licence, please get in contact with our Environmental Health team using our contact form.
Public register
Details of all animal activity licenses, including copies of licenses and inspection reports, are available on our online Public Register. You can find information on how to use the online Public Register on the Public Registers page.
Appeals and complaints
If you are refused a licence, you should discuss this with the inspecting officer who will explain why you have not been successful and what works are needed in order to enable the Council to issue a licence.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received you should email your complaint to environmental.health@eastherts.gov.uk where it will be directed to an appropriate manager depending on the nature of your complaint.
Consumer complaints
Depending on the nature of the complaint, we would always advise that in the first instance contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked and you should email environmental.health@eastherts.gov.uk with the details of your concern.
How to apply
We aim to process all applications within 42 days, but applications can take up to 70 days (10 weeks) to process, therefore:
- existing licence holders will need to apply to renew their licences at least 10 weeks before the expiry date of their existing licence in order to ensure continuity of cover
- new applicants will need to apply for a licence at least 10 weeks before they plan to operate their business
In order for an application to be considered complete, an Animal Activities Application Form and a fee must have been received.
Please note: if you are applying for a licence for the first time, you will be refused a licence if you cannot meet the required minimum prescribed standards. You are therefore strongly advised to check the published guidance and audit yourself against this before making an application.
The application costs are listed below but do not include additional vets charges.
- Dog breeding - £507.00
This fee is not refundable if we have already carried out our inspection of your business.
Tacit approval will not apply to this type of licence because it is in the public interest that East Herts Council must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from East Herts Council within a reasonable period, please contact us on 01279 655261 to discuss your application.
