Animal licensing

Breeding dogs

You must be licensed for dog breeding if you either:

  • breed 3 or more litters of puppies each year, unless you can show that none of the puppies have been sold
  • breed 1 or more litters of puppies and advertise a business selling them

You can be classed as a 'business', depending your activities, even if you're not formally registered as a business – check the Defra guidance notes at Canine and Feline Sector Group (CFSG): legislation and guidance.

Apply for a licence

Fees

For details of current fees, go to our animal licensing fees page.

Licence conditions

For government guidance on applying and the conditions you'll need to meet, go to GOV.UK: Dog breeding licence.

To read the government's guidance for licensing authorities, go to GOV.UK: Animal activities licensing – statutory guidance for local authorities.

Check a licence

You can check online whether a dog breeder is licensed in Thurrock.