Pet shop puppy sale ban considered by ministers.

"A ban on puppy sales by pet shops and other third-party dealers in England is being considered by the government. Under the proposals, people buying or adopting a dog would deal directly with a breeder or rehousing centre. Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the plan would be examined as part of a new package of measures aimed at driving up welfare standards. Enhanced licensing conditions for breeders are already due to come into force this year.

Under the new rules, breeders or sellers dogs must be licensed and will not be able to sell puppies and kittens under eight weeks old. Puppies must also be shown alongside their mother before a sale is made, and - amid concern over online sales - purchases must be completed in the presence of the new owner."

Full article HERE

Well I think hobby breeders like myself, who arguably breed puppies with the most care for their breed, dogs and owners will stop breeding if we all have to be licensed.

Its so confusing.some say 3 litters a year you must have license from this year and this one saying all breeders across the board.
I mean u think 2 litters without license is okay.but even those who have 3 or 4 will have to have kennels and staff so ive read.
Its going to be very hard to enforce and monitor.
What happens if you have an oops mating nd you havent a license.
Do all females have to be spayed if not kept on licensed breeders premises.
The list goes on.

There are 600 licensed breeders in uk.this could go up to 10000 if people breeding 2 litters a year was to be licensed.i do believe though that those who do 2 litters a year should be registered with local authority.

I don't feel it goes far enough. In my area there is a wellknown (infamous) business who is licensed for 200 breeding bitches and they sell their homebred pups in their OWN petshop and state buyers can see the mother. So it won't stop them. In fact it will make them look better. It would be far better if it was a case of NO puppies being allowed to be sold in petshops. This leaves a big loophole.

The KC's press release states anyone breeding more than 2 litters per year, and from October 2018. It also points out how impossible it will be to enforce.

So if you do 2 litters a year you do not need a license.
But 3 plus you do.
The microchipping law is not enforced. So ive no idea how this will work with 3 litters plus to have a license.
Its all hot air and not enforcable.

> i do believe though that those who do 2 litters a year should be registered with local authority.

Why, this could mean someone like me who averages a litter a year, with two bitches whose seasons don't quite work out at 12 months apart, needing a Licence.

The things that bothers home hobby breeders about licences is that commercial type requirements will be applied for facilities.

We want home bred, bedroom/livingroom kitchen. Adhoc arrangements that fit into having a litter from a bitch in our homes. Where I slep by my whelping box.  I don't want to be considered a commercial; kennel. I also worry about having change of use, or neighbours having a say, all the health and safety gone mad, having to separate dogs etc.

What I do want to see is Licenses not being granted for huge numbers of bitches that can't possibly be looked after properly.

For COMMERCIAL breeding staffing levels should be double that for Boarding Kennels (I believe a full member of staff is required for 10 dogs).  My reasoning is that unlike Boarding your talking about dogs living on the premises (not a short stay), and of course bitches with litters need much more time.

What is the point of Licensing and as in a puppy farm in Wales that a few years ago was allowed to have 150 breeding bitches fed by automated feeders, 50 sheep all with one 1/2 staff, no one living on premises!!!

Maybe if people thought about the 1000s of mums,  kept in appalling conditions who have to produce puppies year after year to be sold to petshops, they may reconsider and support this. Yes there are drawbacks but it will help to stop the greeders.
If all breeders were licensed this would help to fund the extra people required to police this.
As an anti puppy farm campaigner I see and hear daily about sick and dying puppies bought from pet shops and unlicensed breeders selling puppies on the internet.
Making sure puppies are seen with mum will also drastically reduce the illegal import of puppies.