Senior councillors back new recommendations to strengthen dog breeding licensing

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet has backed a series of recommendations aimed at improving how dog breeding is licensed and enforced in the county, following a wide-ranging review.

The review, which examined how the authority regulates licensed dog breeders, consulted with stakeholders including members of the public, vets and breeders, and involved site visits to breeding premises.

It has produced a set of local and national recommendations intended to boost animal welfare, clamp down on illegal breeding, and ensure the licensing system is financially sustainable.

Among the recommendations for Carmarthenshire are a full cost recovery exercise to ensure fees reflect the real cost of licensing, greater promotion of the work of the council’s Animal Welfare Team, and efforts to increase public awareness.

It also called for more resources for the Animal Health Team, potentially through a growth bid, and suggested exploring a compulsory scoring system for licensed breeders to improve consistency.

Local vets would also be encouraged to join the council’s Buy With Confidence scheme to help ensure licensed breeders are meeting required standards.

National level

At a national level, the review urges the Welsh Government to revisit the scope of current legislation, including restarting a review of licensing conditions, and to consider whether Animal Licensing Wales funding is being used effectively.

It also recommends a clampdown on illegal breeding by making puppy registration compulsory, reviewing information-sharing between agencies, and introducing a centralised microchip database. Other suggestions include creating a national group to support breeders, implementing a UK-wide scoring system for consistency, and allowing additional enforcement measures such as Fixed Penalty Notices for minor breaches.

‘Recommendations’

Chair of the Task and Finish Group, Cllr Kevin Madge, thanked breeders and residents who contributed to the consultation. “This assistance was valuable in helping us shape the recommendations laid out within the report, which we hope will now be carried forward to improve the dog breeding licensing function within Carmarthenshire,” he said.

Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen praised the work of the review, highlighting the “excellent work and consistent results of a small team who play a crucial role in enforcing animal health and welfare legislation, protecting both animal welfare and legitimate breeders.”