Dog Breeding Licensing and Enforcement (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026)
Case reference FOI2026/01397
Received 7 July 2026
Published 24 August 2026
Request
I would like to request the following data from you, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please provide the following information for dog breeding licensing only.
Unless otherwise stated, please provide information for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Where requested, please provide a snapshot as at 31 March 2026.
1. In which team or department does responsibility for animal activity licensing sit?
For example: Environmental Health, Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Animal Health, or another team.
2. How many active dog breeding licences did your authority have as at 31 March 2026?
If your authority records the number of licensed dog breeders separately from the number of active licences, please also provide that figure.
3. Of the active dog breeding licences as at 31 March 2026, how many were issued for:
a) One year
b) Two years
c) Three years
4. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many new dog breeding licence applications were:
a) Received
b) Approved
c) Refused
d) Withdrawn
5. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many dog breeding licence renewal applications were:
a) Received
b) Approved
c) Refused
d) Withdrawn
6. For any refused new or renewal applications, please provide the reason for refusal.
7. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many inspections were carried out in relation to:
a) New dog breeding licence applications.
b) Dog breeding licence renewal applications.
c) Interim, additional, unannounced or compliance inspections outside the grant/renewal process.
8. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports did your authority receive relating to dog breeding?
9. Of these complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports, how many related to:
a) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeding
b) Complaints or allegations about licensed dog breeders
c) Other dog breeding-related concerns (for example, noise, sickness in puppy)
10. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports resulted in a physical visit or inspection to a site or premises?
Please split, where held, between:
a) Licensed dog breeders
b) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeders
11. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated but did not result in a physical visit or inspection?
12. Where complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated without a physical visit, please briefly describe the main method or methods used.
For example: desktop review, online advert checks, telephone/email contact, review of licensing records, or liaison with another agency.
13. Of the complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports received, how many were recorded as:
a) Founded/substantiated
b) Unfounded/unsubstantiated
c) No further action
d) Still under investigation at 31 March 2026
14. How many alleged or suspected unlicensed breeders investigated during the period subsequently applied for a dog breeding licence?
15. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many enforcement actions were taken in relation to dog breeding following complaints, allegations, visits, inspections, grant applications or renewal applications?
Please provide numbers for:
a) Written warnings
b) Improvement Notices
c) Fixed Penalty Notices
d) Licence variations
e) Licence suspensions
f) Licence revocations
g) Prosecutions commenced
h) Referrals/reports to the RSPCA, SSPCA, USPCA or another enforcement body
16. How many prosecutions relating to dog breeding were undertaken or concluded during the period, and which team recorded or led those prosecutions?
For example: Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Animal Health, or another team.
17. For each concluded prosecution, please provide, where held:
a) Whether the case related to a licensed or unlicensed breeder
b) Offence type
c) Outcome
d) Fine
e) Costs awarded
f) Disqualification order
g) Proceeds of Crime Act/confiscation order, if applicable
18. Does your authority undertake any online proactive monitoring of puppy adverts, dog breeding adverts or social media sales activity as part of dog breeding licensing or enforcement work?
If yes, please state which platforms or sources are monitored, where held.
19. How many full-time equivalent staff are involved in animal activity licensing work, and what are the job titles of officers undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations?
Please also state whether your authority has a dedicated animal welfare, animal health, animal licensing or equivalent officer post responsible for animal licensing and welfare work.
20. For each officer undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations, please provide:
a) The name of any OFQUAL-approved or other formal animal licensing training course completed
b) The course provider
c) A brief description of the practical element of the course, where held.
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I would like to request the following data from you, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please provide the following information for dog breeding licensing only.
Unless otherwise stated, please provide information for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Where requested, please provide a snapshot as at 31 March 2026.
1. In which team or department does responsibility for animal activity licensing sit?
For example: Environmental Health, Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Animal Health, or another team.
Currently ‘Environmental Protection’ (was the ‘Licensing Team’ until 01/04/2026).
2. How many active dog breeding licences did your authority have as at 31 March 2026?
If your authority records the number of licensed dog breeders separately from the number of active licences, please also provide that figure.
Three.
3. Of the active dog breeding licences as at 31 March 2026, how many were issued for:
a) One year
Zero.
b) Two years
Zero.
c) Three years
Three.
4. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many new dog breeding licence applications were:
a) Received
Zero.
b) Approved
Zero.
c) Refused
Zero.
d) Withdrawn
Zero.
5. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many dog breeding licence renewal applications were:
a) Received
Two.
b) Approved
Two.
c) Refused
Zero.
d) Withdrawn
Zero.
6. For any refused new or renewal applications, please provide the reason for refusal.
N/A.
7. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many inspections were carried out in relation to:
a) New dog breeding licence applications.
Zero.
b) Dog breeding licence renewal applications.
Two.
c) Interim, additional, unannounced or compliance inspections outside the grant/renewal process.
Two.
8. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports did your authority receive relating to dog breeding?
Five.
9. Of these complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports, how many related to:
a) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeding
Four.
b) Complaints or allegations about licensed dog breeders
One.
c) Other dog breeding-related concerns (for example, noise, sickness in puppy)
1 (but this complaint was also regarding an unlicensed breeder and is included in ‘9.a)’ (above) too)
10. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports resulted in a physical visit or inspection to a site or premises? Please split, where held, between:
a) Licensed dog breeders
0 because the complaint about the licenced premises was that it was not licensed. If there were any other complaints made about the licensed premises (for example, conditions or welfare) this would have triggered a full inspection and investigations as per the regulations.
b) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeders
0 (visits for unlicensed breeder had been undertaken outside of the requested time period).
11. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated but did not result in a physical visit or inspection?
Five.
12. Where complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated without a physical visit, please briefly describe the main method or methods used. For example: desktop review, online advert checks, telephone/email contact, review of licensing records, or liaison with another agency.
Evidence is gathered and reviewed to see if it meets the threshold for the two offences – more than 3 litters in 12 months or advertising a business of selling dogs. This includes Data Protection and IPA information requests for online advertisers, use of the Investigatory Powers Act to view social media pages, invitations to attend interviews under caution. In cases where evidence satisfies us that offences may be occurring, we would seek a warrant and work with Police and vets to enter the premises to gather evidence. In cases where the threshold is not met, a letter may be sent to ensure that the breeder is aware of the licensing regime.
13. Of the complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports received, how many were recorded as:
a) Founded/substantiated
One.
b) Unfounded/unsubstantiated
Three.
c) No further action
Three (same cases as in ‘13.b’ above).
d) Still under investigation at 31 March 2026
One.
14. How many alleged or suspected unlicensed breeders investigated during the period subsequently applied for a dog breeding licence?
Zero.
15. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many enforcement actions were taken in relation to dog breeding following complaints, allegations, visits, inspections, grant applications or renewal applications?
Please provide numbers for:
a) Written warnings
One.
b) Improvement Notices
Zero.
c) Fixed Penalty Notices
One.
d) Licence variations
Zero.
e) Licence suspensions
Zero.
f) Licence revocations
Zero.
g) Prosecutions commenced
One.
h) Referrals/reports to the RSPCA, SSPCA, USPCA or another enforcement body
Zero.
16. How many prosecutions relating to dog breeding were undertaken or concluded during the period, and which team recorded or led those prosecutions?
For example: Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Animal Health, or another team.
One. This was successfully led by the licensing team (note that the same officer has
moved teams to Environmental Protection Team now).
17. For each concluded prosecution, please provide, where held:
a) Whether the case related to a licensed or unlicensed breeder
Unlicensed Breeder.
b) Offence type
Breeding 3 or more litters in a 12 month period and operating a business advertising dogs for sale without a licence. Section 13 Animal Welfare Act 2006. Hearing on 7th April.
c) Outcome
Two suspects found guilty.
d) Fine
Ordered them to pay costs instead, rather than a fine, to prevent the money
from going to central funds.
e) Costs awarded
£25,000.
f) Disqualification order
Five years.
g) Proceeds of Crime Act/confiscation order, if applicable
N/A.
18. Does your authority undertake any online proactive monitoring of puppy adverts, dog breeding adverts or social media sales activity as part of dog breeding licensing or enforcement work?
If yes, please state which platforms or sources are monitored, where held.
Yes- When time permits, free ads, preloved, pets4homes, Facebook marketplace
are checked.
19. How many full-time equivalent staff are involved in animal activity licensing work, and what are the job titles of officers undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations?
One Senior Environmental Protection Officer – Animal Welfare.
Please also state whether your authority has a dedicated animal welfare, animal health, animal licensing or equivalent officer post responsible for animal licensing and welfare work.
Yes – Senior Environmental Protection Officer- Animal Welfare (formerly Animal
Welfare Officer).
20. For each officer undertaking dog breeding inspections, visits or complaint investigations, please provide:
a) The name of any OFQUAL-approved or other formal animal licensing training course completed
• Animal Care NVQ
• Animal Management ND
• Community Safety Accreditation (CSAS)
• Professional Programme in Inspecting Licensable Activities Involving
Animals.
Please note that it is not clear if you required these to have been completed
during the requested time period. FYI they were obtained prior to this period
b) The course provider
Professional Programme in Inspecting Licensable Activities Involving
Animal: City of London.
Animal Care and management: Merrist Wood College.
CSAS training: Specialised Training Services.
c) A brief description of the practical element of the course, where held.
Professional Programme in Inspecting Licensable Activities Involving Animal:
involved undertaking inspections of all types of licensable activity, in real world
situations.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
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