Update to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals)(England) Regulations 2019
LUCY’S LAW COMES INTO FORCE 6th April 2020
**Note-during the current Coronavirus Pandemic it is advised that you do not enter into the process of buying a new puppy or kitten.**
What is it and how does it protect puppies and kittens?
The law is named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who died in 2016 after being subjected to terrible conditions on a Welsh puppy farm. Dogs like Lucy are often kept by breeders to produce multiple litters of puppies, which are taken from their mothers at just a few weeks’ old and advertised online or sold in pet shops.
Lucy’s Law’ means that anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten in England must now buy direct from a breeder, or consider adopting from a rescue centre instead. Licensed dog breeders are required to show puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth. If a business sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.
Since October 2018, the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals)(England)(Amendment) Regulations 2019 requires any person who carries out the business of selling puppies and kittens as pets to hold a licence. From April 2020 this will be amended so that puppies and kittens (cats under 6 months old) may only be sold as pets if they have been bred by the license holder.
If you have any concerns regarding any person breeding without a licence please contact the Public Protection Partnership.
For Bracknell Forest please email: Licensing@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
For West Berkshire please email: Licensing@westberks.gov.uk
For Wokingham please email: Licensing@wokingham.gov.uk
Link to DEFRA article:
https://deframedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/06/lucys-law-comes-into-force/
