Dog Breeding

Licensing Fees

• Animal Licensing Fees (PDF)
• Licensing Privacy Notice (PDF)

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General Information

An annual licence which is required under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 and 1991. A “breeding establishment” applies to any person who carries on a business of breeding dogs with a view to their being sold in the course of such business. The Act prescribes standards of management and accommodation and provides for the process of inspection.

The timescale for determining this application is 56 days from the receipt by this authority of an acceptable and complete application.

Renewal notifications are sent approximately 6 weeks before the licence expires.

A licence is required if either of the following applies:

• Four or more litters of puppies are born to bitches during any 12 month period. Litters will count towards the total of four or more litters, where they are born to bitches which are either:
• kept at any premises during the 12 month period;
• kept by any relative at the breeding establishment;
• kept elsewhere;
• kept by any person under a breeding arrangement;
  and at least one puppy, from the four or more litters, is sold during the 12 month period.
• Any other case where it is deemed that a business of breeding dogs for sale is being carried on from a premises.

The premises must be adequate in terms of:

• construction, size, number of occupants, exercise facilities, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness;
• dogs and puppies will be adequately supplied with food and drink, bedding material, adequately exercised and visited at suitable intervals;
• adequate precautions are in place in case of infectious disease;
• adequate fire and emergency precautions are in place;
• suitable breeding records are maintained.

The legislation contains a number of rules including:

• bitches are not to be mated until they are at least one year old;
• bitches can only have one litter per year;
• bitches are to have no more than six litters per year;
• accurate breeding records must be maintained.

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Animal Welfare Act 2006

From 6 April 2007 the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into effect. It makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met. This includes:

• suitable environment (place to live);
• suitable diet;
• to exhibit normal behaviour patterns;
• to be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable);
• to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease;

The law also increases the minimum age to 16 at which a person can buy an animal and prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under this age.

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Application Packs

These can be accessed or downloaded below. If you are unable to access them or require a hard copy please contact licensing@north-norfolk.gov.uk

For a valid application we require ALL the following forms/documentation in order for the application to be processed. Incomplete applications will be returned.

New/Renewal

• Dog Breeding Application Form (PDF) 
• Attachment to Dog Breeding Application Form (PDF) 
• Animal Licensing Fees (PDF)

Guidance Notes for assistancew with applications

• Guidance Notes for Dog Breeding (PDF) 

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