Animal Breeding Establishments

We are responsible for the licensing of any establishment that carries on business of breeding dogs for sale, as required by the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973., Breeding of Dogs Act 1991 and Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999.

Please browse the links below for more information:

• How to apply
• Matters for consideration
• Conditions
• Planning requirements

For all other enquiries, please contact our Licensing section at the Civic Centre on (0115) 901 3971 or email licensing@gedling.gov.uk

How to apply

The current application fee for Animal Breeding Establishment licenses is set at £112 excluding veterinary fees, although premises already associated with an animal boarding establishment pay a reduced £36 fee.

The annual licensing period runs from 1 January to 31 December, with applications received part-way through the year covering the rest of that calendar year.

To submit your application, please return the form below to the address provided:

• Animal Breeding License Application PDF (45KB)

Please note that breeding establishments can only operate once in receipt of a valid licence.

On the death of a licence holder, his/her license passes onto their personal representative for three months from the day of their death and then expire.

Matters for consideration

Once in receipt of your application, we make a number of considerations before deciding whether to grant your application, including:

• That dogs will at all times be kept in accommodation suitable as respects construction, size of quarters, number of occupants, exercising facilities, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness
• That dogs will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding material, adequately exercised, and visited at suitable intervals
• That all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent and control the spread among dogs of infectious or contagious diseases
• That appropriate steps will be taken for the protection of the dogs in case of fire or other emergency
• That all steps will be taken to secure that the dogs will be provided with suitable food, drink and bedding material and adequately exercised when being transported to or from breeding establishments
• That bitches are not mated if they are less than one year old
• That bitches do not give birth to more than six litters of puppies each
• That bitches do not give birth to puppies before the end of the twelve months beginning with the day on which they last gave birth to puppies
• That accurate records in a form prescribed by regulations are kept at the premises and made available for inspection by authorised officers

Conditions

On granting a licence, we must specify conditions as appropriate to achieve the objectives specified in the legislation.

Guidance and model conditions for dog breeding establishments have been issued jointly by the British Veterinary Association; the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Local Government Association.

Planning requirements

Your application for a licence will need to consider whether planning permission is required for the proposed licensed activity. You should contact our Development Control Section to discuss whether permission will be needed. Your application for a licence will not be processed until the planning issue has been decided.

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