Animal Welfare

(asked on 10th February 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many licences were issued for (a) breeding dogs, (b) providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats, (c) providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for dogs in kennels, (d) providing or arranging for the provision of day care for dogs, (e) hiring out horses, (f) selling animals as pets and (g) keeping or training animals for exhibition under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 in (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 26th February 2021

The table below provides data for the various activities as provided by local authorities, as required under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Data held for animal boarding is not separated into catteries and kennelling or day care:

Active licences issued/renewed*

Pet selling

Dog breeding

Animal boarding

Riding schools

Exhibiting animals

2018/19

338

321

1,842

167

64

2019/20

539

561

2,401

185

539

*according to records submitted by local authorities – 64 returns in 2018/19 and 82 returns in 2019/20.

Reticulating Splines