Dog breeding licence conditions

Accommodation

General

  • Dogs will at all times be kept in accommodation suitable as respects construction, size of quarters, number of occupants, exercising facilities, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness.
  • Where wood has been used in an existing construction it must be smooth and treated to render it impervious.  Wood should not be used on exposed surfaces of walls, floors, partitions, door frames or doors in the dog kennelling area. There must be no projections liable to cause injury.
  • All exterior wood should be properly treated against wood-rot, e.g. tanalised. Only non-toxic products should be used.
  • All internal surfaces used in the construction of walls, floors, partitions, doors and door frames are to be durable, smooth and impervious. There must be no projections or rough edges liable to cause injury.
  • Sleeping areas of kennels must be insulated so as to prevent extremes of temperature.
  • The construction should be such as to ensure the security of the dog.
  • Fencing material should be secure and safe.

Walls and partitions

  • Walls with which dogs may come into contact must be of smooth impervious materials, capable of being easily cleaned. Where concrete or other building blocks or bricks are used, they should be sealed so as to be smooth and impervious, and resealed as necessary.
  • Junctions between vertical and horizontal sections should be covered. If impractical in existing premises, all joints should be sealed.
  • It is suggested that partition walls between kennels and individual exercise areas should be of solid construction to a minimum height of 1.2m (4ft).

Floors

  • Floors of all buildings, individual exercise areas and kennels should be of smooth, impervious materials, capable of being easily cleaned. It is recommended that new kennels should incorporate a damp proof membrane.
  • All floors of kennels and individual exercise areas should be constructed and maintained in such a condition as to prevent pooling of liquids.
  • In new constructions, it is recommended that floors should be laid to a minimum fall of 1 in 80 leading to a shallow drainage channel or effectively covered deep drainage channel.
  • Communal exercise areas should also be suitably drained to prevent pooling of liquids.

Ceilings

  • Ceilings must be capable of being easily cleaned and disinfected.

Doors

  • Kennel doors should be strong enough to resist impact and scratching and should be capable of being effectively secured.
  • Where metal bars and frames are used, they should be of suitable gauge with spacing adequate to prevent dogs escaping or becoming entrapped. Where metal edging is used, this should not present a risk of injury to the dog.
  • Door openings should be constructed such that the passage of water/waste is not impeded, or allowed to accumulate due to inaccessibility.

Windows

  • Windows should not pose a security risk and ideally should be escape proof for the protection of the dog as well as the public.

Drainage

  • The establishment must be connected to mains drainage or an approved sewerage disposal system.

Lighting

  • During daylight hours, light must be provided to exercise and sleeping areas so that all parts are clearly visible. Where practicable this should be natural light.
  • Adequate supplementary lighting must be provided throughout the establishment.

Ventilation

  • Ventilation must be provided to all interior areas without the creation of excessive, localised draughts in the sleeping area.

Kennel size, layout and exercise facilities

  • Kennels should be provided with an adequate size of sleeping area.
  • Bedding should be suitable to allow dogs to be comfortable. Bedding must be capable of being easily cleaned and sanitised and sited away from draughts. All bedding material in use should be clean, parasite free and dry.
  • Adequate exercise areas must be provided for all kennels.
  • Kennels should have minimum height of 1.8m (6ft) to allow adequate access by kennel staff for cleaning.
  • Kennels and exercise areas should open onto secure corridors or other secure areas so that dogs are not able to escape from the premises.
  • Exercise areas should not be used as sleeping areas.

Temperature in kennels

  • Heating facilities must be available in the kennel and used according to the requirements of the individual dog.
  • There must be some part of the sleeping area where the dog is able to enjoy a minimum temperature of 10°C (50°F) and a maximum temperature of 26°C (79°F).

Cleanliness

  • All kennels, corridors, common areas, kitchens and so on must be kept clean and free from accumulations of dirt and dust so that disease control is maintained and the dogs are comfortable.
  • Each occupied kennel must be cleaned daily. All excreta and soiled material must be removed from all areas used by the dogs at least daily and as necessary.
  • All sleeping areas and bedding must be kept clean and dry.
  • Regular disinfection should be demonstrated by keeping records of disinfecting regimes.
  • Facilities must be provided for the proper reception, storage and disposal of waste. Particular care should be taken to segregate waste arising from the treatment and handling of dogs with infectious diseases.
  • Measures must be taken to minimise the risks from rodents, insects and other pests within the breeding establishment. Such pests should be adequately dealt with without delay to eradicate the infestation.

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Management

General

  • Dogs will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding material, adequately exercised, and visited at suitable intervals.

Supervision

  • A fit and proper person should always be present to exercise supervision and deal with emergencies.
  • Dogs must be checked regularly throughout the day.

Food and water supplies

  • All dogs must be adequately supplied with suitable food. Clean water must be available at all times and changed daily.
  • Eating and drinking vessels must be capable of being easily cleansed and disinfected to prevent cross-contamination. They must be maintained in a clean condition and cleansed or disposed of after each meal.

Kitchen facilities

  • Exclusive facilities, hygienically constructed and maintained, should be provided for the storage and preparation of food for the dogs.
  • Where fresh and cooked meats are stored, refrigeration facilities must be provided. Food contamination must be avoided.
  • A sink with hot and cold running water must be available for washing kitchen utensils and eating and drinking vessels. A separate hand basin with hot and cold running water should be provided for staff.
  • Containers for storing foods should be provided and should be constructed and maintained to guard against insects and other pests.

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Disease control, vaccination and worming

General

  • All reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent and control the spread among dogs of infectious or contagious diseases.
  • All dogs should be vaccinated against Canine Distemper, Infectious Canine Hepatitis (Canine Adenovirus) Leptospirosis (Leptospira canicola and Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae) and Canine Parvovirus. It may be necessary to vaccinate against other diseases and veterinary advice should be sought.
  • Advice from the veterinary surgeon must be sought where a dog shows signs of disease, injury or illness. A competent person must ensure this advice is followed.

First aid kit for dogs

  • A fully stocked first aid kit suitable for use on dogs and puppies should be available and accessible on the premises.

Isolation facilities

  • Isolation facilities should be provided.
  • Isolation facilities must be in compliance with the other licence conditions but must be physically isolated from the main kennels at a distance of at least 5m (15ft).
  • Adequate facilities to prevent the spread of infectious disease between the isolation case and any other kennels must be provided.
  • Hands must be washed after leaving the isolation facilities before handling other dogs and visiting kennels.

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Emergencies/fire prevention

General

  • All appropriate steps will be taken for the protection of the dogs in case of fire or other emergency.
  • There should be an emergency evacuation plan and fire warning procedure in place. This should be posted where staff may become familiar with it. This procedure should include instructions dealing with where dogs are to be evacuated.
  • Fire fighting equipment and detectors should be properly maintained.
  • All electrical installations and appliances should be maintained in a safe condition. There should be a residual current circuit breaker system on each block of kennels.
  • Heating appliances should not be sited in a location or manner where they may present a risk of fire, or risk to dogs.
  • Precautions should be taken to prevent any accumulation of material which may present a risk of fire.
  • There should be adequate means of raising an alarm in the event of a fire or other emergency.

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Transport

General

  • That all appropriate steps will be taken to secure that the dogs will be provided with suitable food, drink and bedding material and adequately exercised when being transported to or from the breeding establishment.

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Health and welfare of the breeding bitch

Mating

  • That bitches are not mated if they are less than one year old.

Maximum number of litters

  • That bitches do not give birth to more than six litters of puppies each.

Twelve months between litters

  • That bitches do not give birth to puppies before the end of the period of twelve months beginning with the day on which they last gave birth to puppies.

Record-keeping

  • That accurate records in a form prescribed by regulations are kept at the premises and made available for inspection there by any officer of the local authority, or any veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner, authorised by the local authority to inspect the premises.
  • The Breeding of Dogs (Licensing Records) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No. 3192) prescribe the form of records to be kept by licensed breeding establishments. These records must be accurate and kept on the premises and made available to local authority inspectors or any veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner authorised by the local authority.
  • A record must be kept by every licensed dog breeder for each breeding bitch providing the name of the bitch, date of birth, address where is kept, breed, description, date of mating and details of sire. Licensed dog breeders must also keep a record of any litters, including the sex of the puppies, date of birth, weight, description and total number in the litter. The record must also show the details of sale, namely the date of sale, name and address of who was supplied and the status of the purchaser (i.e. private owner or pet shop).