Can any one tell me if there is any laws regarding how many dogs you are allowed to own?

I have 3 medium breed now and was told by a friend that you had to apply for a licence if you had 4 or more - but o dont no how true that is or how i can find out.

All advise is welcomed.

Thanks
Carrie :)

There is no such general law. Landlords can stipulate a maximum amount allowed in their properties, and there have been councils setting a max limit of 6, but this is rare. I think your friend have got her wires crossed, as you need a breeding license if you breed more than 4 litters a year.

I think, there is no limit on the dogs you can own. I know the generic rule regarding breeding without a license is 5 bitches of breeding age (or entire) and if you breed 3 or more litters a year. This is different with each council though. Some councils (eg mine) are 5 litters per year and anymore than 5 breeding age bitches.

I don't think you have to have a license for just owning them but best thing to do would be enquire at your council offices

I know the generic rule regarding breeding without a license is 5 bitches of breeding age (or entire) and if you breed 3 or more litters a year.

No the generic rule is simply more than 4 litters per year -I have that in writing from DEFRA. How many bitches you have do not matter -unless your council have their own rules. :)

I know in the deeds of the house I own, it says not more than 2 dogs or 2 cats but I have no idea how enforceable that is and is probably generally ignored. :-)

Ooops my mistake. That must just be my council instead.

I have heard that they have such law in America I think maximum of 5 dogs is allowed over there (I bet this will vary per state...). But I haven't come across of such law in the UK.

I own my house but it is an ex council house and it says in the deeds I can only have one dog *cough*. This is never enforced BUT when I had a neighbour complain about my dogs being noisy, it was brought into play. Luckily we have a dog friendly dog warden who visited and realised very quickly that the noise was coming from the dogs across the road, not mine. He wrote a letter giving me permission to own 5 dogs and said he would write me another if we added to our pack at any time :-)

in America I think maximum of 5 dogs is allowed over there

Can that be right? I used to work in a veterinary hospital in NY and we had a couple who had over 20 dogs and not many fewer cats...while they might have benefited from occupying more than one household, I am quite sure they all shared the same place. Quite how they afforded their monstrous vet bills i can't say.

> I have heard that they have such law in America I think maximum of 5 dogs is allowed over there (I bet this will vary per state...).

Whewwww!!!  

Glad I'm in the UK then!!  :-)

Can that be right? I used to work in a veterinary hospital in NY and we had a couple who had over 20 dogs and not many fewer cats...

As with so much else, varies from state to state. (Like in some states it's illegal to keep gerbils, in others ferrets, etc.) In some you can only keep above a certain number without having a kennel license. In California they are trying to get it through that all pet animals have to be neutered or you'll need a license, have to pay huge fees for each entire animal every year etc. It's a big fight been going on for quite a while now, not sure if there has been an outcome yet. I know of cat breeders that have been putting animals to sleep when they have exceeded the legal numbers, just to enable them to keep breeding. :(

I know of cat breeders that have been putting animals to sleep when they have exceeded the legal numbers, just to enable them to keep breeding.

Aagghhh! I'd never be called a great cat fan, but now I know the world has gone mad!

I'm only supposed to have 2 animals in my house.  It's in my title deeds.  But no-one has paid any heed as most people in my area have lots of pets, luckilly enough, so it would be hard to enforce.

It certainly varies from state to state here in Aus.
Qld, the state that I'm in, only allows 2 dogs if you have a total land size of 600m2 or more.  Then a permit is required to be allowed to keep over two, but up to four dogs.
Anything less than 600m2, you're only allowed to have 1 dog.

Someone I know has 14 (possibly 15 now!) and they live in a Council House. One of their neighbours did complain, but the council officer was happy with the condition of the dogs and the house and made no comment about the number she had