Breeding Legislation Flashcards
What regulation does breeding animals come under?
Animal Welfare (licensing of activities involving animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021
What does the regulation cover?
- covers the licensing of a range of activities that require a license from a local authority
What does the regulation include?
- selling animals as pets as a business
- engaging in animal rehoming activities
- operators of animal welfare establishments
- breeding of dogs, cats and rabbits
What are the 3 aims of the regulation?
- provide for licensing authorities to charge fees and inspect premises
- modernise and replace previous licensing requirements for dog breeding and pet sales by allowing licenses to be suspended or revoked and issued for periods of up to 3 years based on a risk assessment
- they also prevent the commercial sale of puppies or kittens not bred by the seller
What does the regulation prohibit the supply and sale of?
- unweaned animals
- mammals weaned at an early age
- non-mammals that are incapable of feeding themselves
- puppies, kittens, and ferrets under 8 weeks old
What are the license conditions?
- 1 to 3 years
- local authority responsible for granting licenses
- license is issued after satisfactory inspection of the establishment
- license must be displayed on premises and website
- if refused can be appealed
What rules does the license set for the breeder?
- no puppy, kitten or kitten under 8 weeks old may be sold
- number of breeding females on premises must not exceed the maximum number specified on the license
- opportunities must be given to puppies, kittens and kits to socialise and become habituated to noises, objects
- specifies requirements to ensure the following welfare needs are met from breeding females and their young for each species
What must breeders do before selling puppies?
- puppies must be microchipped and registered on database to breeding license holder before sold
- accurate records of breeding activities must be kept
When should a licence be obtained?
- any premises where the business of breeding dogs, cats or rabbits for sale is carried out
- a licence must be obtained from the local authority
When is a person presumed to be a breeder?
- a total of 3 or more litters are born to bitches or queens over a 12 month period
- excludes breeding of assistance dogs
- a total of 6 or more litters for rabbits over a 12 month period
- excludes rabbits used for meat production
At what age can females be first bred?
Dog - 12 months
Cats - 10 months
Rabbits - 5 months
How many litters can each species have in a 12 month period?
Dog - no more than 1 litter
Cat - no more than 2 litters
Rabbits - no more than 4 litters
How many litters can each species have in their lifetime?
Dog - no more than 6 litters
Cat - no more than 8 litters
Rabbit - no more than 16 litters
At what age should each species no longer be bred?
Dog - aged 8 years or more
Cat - aged 8 years or more
Rabbits - aged 6 years or more
When should each species receive a caesarean section?
Dog - after having 2 litters delivered by c-section
Cat - after having 1 litter delivered by c-section
Rabbit - n/a
What information should breeders keep record of?
- individuals in each litter, dob, gender, colour
- number per litter
- breeding females
- number and dates of mating and age at mating
- number of litters
- vet history
- parents and sale/supply dates
- age of individual when sold
- microchip number
What does category 3 breeds mean?
- specific health condition including those with exaggerated conformation of the eyes, skin, dentition, movement and respiratory function
What must category 3 breeders do?
- need to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience of the breed concerned
- robust selection and health screening procedures must be in place and sufficient to minimise risk of extreme confirmations in any offspring produced
What are the 4 responsibilities of breeding licence holders?
- be aware of any health risks specific to the breed
- seek veterinary advice on the suitability of an animal for breeding
- not breed from animals that show fear or aggression
- not breed from dogs that required surgery to rectify a conformation
What are the 4 reasons why we need breeding legislation?
- to protect the health and welfare of breeding females and their offspring
- to promote high standards of health and welfare during breeding practices
- to reduce risk of inherited disorders from selective breeding
- to prevent establishments operating as profit only businesses
What occurs on puppy farm breeds?
- bitches are bred too young and continuously
- puppies are removed too early from their mother
- puppies are more prone to health problems
- not likely they receive veterinary treatment
- 30% of pups become ill or die before turning 1
- pups are more likely to show fear, anxiety, stress, anger
- pups aren’t properly socialised
What are the 5 consequences of selective breeding?
- conformation-related disorders
- congenital effects
- genetic disorders
- stress and pain
- behavioural problems
How do behavioural problems occur due to bad breeding?
- selecting for exaggerated conformations deprives the animals opportunity to express natural behaviours and compromises communication
How do brachycephalic breeds have a poor conformation?
- they have narrowed nostrils so have difficulty breathing
- dysfunctional breathing and temperature control
- obstructed air flow
- tire more quickly
- coughing, choking and vomiting
