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Animal Breeding Establishment Licence - Licence and permit applications

Licence type
Dog, Cat or Rabbit Breeding Licence
Who should apply?
anyone who breeds dogs, cats or rabbits
Definitions and more
The Animal (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 requires anyone who breeds dogs, cats or rabbits to be licenced by the council.
The criteria for licensing is:
Anyone breeding 3 or more litters of pups in any 12 month period
Anyone breeding 3 or more litters of kittens in any 12 month period
Anyone breeding 6 or more litters or kits of rabbits in any 12 month period
The requirement to be licensed applies whether the breeder sells or otherwise supplies a puppy, kitten or kit as a pet to another person.
Cost

Download our Animal Breeding licence application fees

Please note we do not accept paper application forms, postal application forms, BACs, cash or cheque payments.  We only accept electronic licence application forms and payments made using our

You should upload your completed application form, all required supporting documentation and make payment using our

Please also note that all licence application fees are non refundable, you can download our refunds policy for more information. Any requests for a refund due to exceptional circumstances should be made in writing to the Licensing Manager, 249 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ or by email to: licensing@edinburgh.gov.uk

Additional costs

The application process may involve an inspection by a Veterinary Surgeon appointed by the Council. The full cost of this must be met by the applicant before a licence will be issued. The cost will vary depending on individual circumstances

What you need to supply

Fully completed application form
The correct application fee for the activity
Copy of your current Public Liability insurance, and where necessary Employer’s Public Liability insurance
A plan of the premises to be licenced

Please note  we do not accept paper application forms, postal application forms, BACs, cash or cheque payments.  We only accept electronic licence application forms and payments made using our .

Additional information

The requirement to be licensed does not apply to the breeding of dogs where the offspring are intended to be trained and used as assistance dogs and the requirement to be licensed as a rabbit breeder does not apply where a person is breeding rabbits for the purposes of personal consumption or in the course of commercial meat production

Application pack

The Scottish Government have produced guidance for each type of breeding licence. You should click on the relevant link below and ensure you read the guidance notes before you apply for a licence:



Download an application form

You must upload your completed application form, all required supporting documentation and make payment using our

Standard conditions

The Animal (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 provide general conditions to be attached to a licence regardless of whether it is for breeding dogs, cats or rabbits. The Regulations also provide specific conditions to be attached to each type of breeding licence. 

You can view the General and Specific conditions by clicking the links below: