Breeding of dogs is regulated under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) England Regulations 2018.
A breeding establishment is defined as any premises where the business of breeding of dogs for sale is carried on. A person will be presumed to be carrying on a business where, during any 12 month period, three or more litters are born at the premises and one puppy or more is sold. A decision as to whether a breeder with bitches producing fewer than three litters a year needs to be licensed will depend on whether the breeder concerned is carrying on a business: this can only be determined by the local authority on the facts of each case.
Each premises will be risk rated at inspection and will be given a star rating from 1 to 5, which will also determine whether the premises is granted a licence for 1, 2 or 3 years.
Apply via post or email:
You can email your application and supplementary documents to EHealth@havant.gov.uk, or post them to Animal Welfare, Havant Borough Council, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, PO9 2AX. Once the team has confirmed receipt of your application, you will be contacted directly for payment of the application fee.
Please note that an application for a licence renewal must be received more than 12 weeks before the current licence expires. Failure to do so may result in the licence not being renewed in time and, thus a period where the business can not operate.
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into force on 1st October 2018. You must comply with all of the minimum standards in the guidance below to achieve a licence. There will be a physical inspection of the premises, and evidence of all relevant paperwork and qualifications will need to be seen at your inspection.
You must read and understand the Government's statutory guidance, and it is recommended that you read the Canine And Feline Sector Group Guidance on Dog Conformation and the Dog Breeding Reform Group's Code Of Practice On Dog Breeding before starting your business.
The Animal Welfare Team has produced a collection of sample documents for dog breeders which may assist with complying with licence conditions. These documents can be used as a starting point, but must be amended to reflect your specific premises and practices. Please email EHealth@havant.gov.uk to request these documents.
Appointed veterinary surgeons and practitioners, appropriately qualified local authority officers, or other competent persons authorised by the local authority may inspect licensed premises and any animals at such premises at any reasonable time. There will normally only be one inspection for each licence granted, but further inspections may be made to check that licence conditions have been complied with, if a complaint is received about the premises, or if there is any concern about the condition of the premises, or the welfare of an animal at the premises.
Unlicensed premises may also be inspected in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
You may decide that you would like to have your premises re-inspected, if you have undertaken improvements since the licence was issued and you feel that you could achieve a higher star rating. If you would like your premises to be inspected again and consideration given to changing the star rating, please contact the Animal Welfare Team via email to EHealth@havant.gov.uk. The correspondence should include your licence number, confirmation that you are requesting a re-inspection, and the actions that have been taken by the business to improve the level of compliance or welfare since the inspection. Where appropriate, you may also attach supporting evidence.
There is a fee for re-inspection. Once your request is made, there will be confirmation it has been received and we will contact you to take payment of the fee. If re-inspection is appropriate it will be carried out within three months of receipt of the request. There is no limit to the number of re-inspection visits a business can request, however, there will be a fee for each visit charged. Please be aware that your star rating could go up or down following a re-inspection.
You may be dissatisfied with the star rating awarded on your licence and choose to appeal this. To appeal the star rating given, you must submit your appeal in writing to the Animal Welfare Team via email to EHealth@havant.gov.uk. Your appeal must be received within 21 days (including weekends and bank holidays) of your licence being issued. The correspondence should include your licence number, confirmation that you are appealing the star rating given, and the reasons for the appeal.
The appeal will be determined by the Environmental Health Manager, after considering paperwork associated with the inspection and the past record of the business. This officer will not have been associated with the inspection and the associated scoring of the site.
A licence will be refused;
The applicant may appeal to a First tier Tribunal if the Council refuses to grant or renew a licence
A licence may be varied, suspended or revoked by the Council for the following reasons;
Any significant change to the premises may require a variation to your licence. The licensee may request a variation or the Council can impose one. This will involve a small charge. Please contact us on EHealth@havant.gov.uk if you think a variation may be needed.
The licensee may appeal to a First Tier Tribunal if the Council has varied, suspended or revoked a licence.
The fees due for animal licences are reviewed every financial year, and vary depending on the type of licence. Please click here for a schedule of fees.
After submitting your application, you will be contacted to take the application fee, this will be prior to the inspection. After your inspection, and in order to issue your licence, you will need to pay the compliance fee. You may be subject to variable vet fees, depending on the licence.
Remember that adverts posted by licensed breeders must include their licence number and the name of the Council they are licensed by. If they claim to be licensed by Havant Borough Council, check with us before buying a puppy.
There is a 2020 Government campaign called "Petfished" which warns of the pitfalls of buying through online sources. The associated education campaign run by The Dogs Trust is called "Dogfished", which gives good advice about buying a puppy.
As of 6th April 2020, it is illegal for a pet shop or other licensed pet seller to sell puppies or kittens. Licensed breeders of puppies may only sell them from their own premises.