Report raises concerns about dog breeding rules
Records of non-compliance are rare, despite growing popularity in unhealthy breeds.
The findings of a new report have sparked concerns about the effectiveness of the existing dog breeding laws being enforced by local authorities across the UK.
Conducted by Naturewatch Foundation and the Legal Advisory Group on Extreme Conformation in Dogs (LAGECDogs), the research has examined whether these legal laws are efficient at protecting the health and welfare of dogs.
The report has been based on Freedom of Information requests, sent to 326 local authorities in England and Scotland. Naturewatch says that, across 2,390 licensed dog breeders operating in 2025, records of non-compliance remained rare.
In England, between 2018 and 2025, 31 cases of non-compliance were reported by local authorities. This included 17 licence refusals, six licence variations, two suspensions and two prosecutions.
In Scotland, meanwhile, there were no cases of non-compliance reported.
Naturewatch has highlighted discrepancies between the rate of non-compliance reports and the continued popularity of poorly-bred dogs. It says dogs are continuing to be bred to have extreme physical characteristics with serious health and welfare concerns.
The organisation also suggests that there might be significant variations in how authorities are assessing compliance. While some councils described particularly comprehensive inspections, others provided only general descriptions with no clear explanation of compliance in practice.
The report warns that some welfare concerns, including individual dogs from breeding licences, may also be unrecorded as a breach in regulations.
Naturewatch has now called for improved protection for dogs and puppies, with more training and guidance required from inspectors and licensing officers.
This includes clearer guidance for breeders and inspectors improved training and support for licensing officers and clearer guidance on the role of veterinary surgeons during inspections. It recommends a greater emphasis on ‘holistic welfare assessments’ during inspections.
Naturewatch also suggests that further research into the welfare assessments currently carried out by authorities could be needed. It says that, while its report only examines the uses of existing rules, it may still propose more substantive legal changes.
Natalie Harney, campaign manager at Naturewatch Foundation and co-author of the report, said: "The findings of this report confirm, as many have long suspected, that legal rules designed to prevent harmful breeding decisions are not being used to their full potential.
“This evidence can now be used to better support local authorities and licensees, and inform future dog breeding policy development, with the overall aim of improving the health and welfare of dogs.”
The full report can be found here.
Image © Shutterstock/ Sylvie Pabion Martin
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