Most puppies in UK come ‘from unlicensed settings’

New fears have been raised about the strength of dog breeding regulations after a charity claimed almost 90% of UK puppies may have come from unlicensed settings.

Defra officials have insisted they remain committed to ending puppy farming and consulting on regulatory reforms in the area.

But Naturewatch Foundation leaders said their figures, which also indicated thousands fewer female dogs were being kept for licensed breeding, showed the need to “urgently move forward”.

‘Little visibility’

Campaign manager Natalie Harney said: “The reality is that we have very little visibility of where most puppies are coming from, how they are being bred or the conditions in which they and their parents are being kept.

“That uncertainty creates risks not only for dogs, but also for the public.”

The issue has been highlighted after the foundation submitted Freedom of Information requests to 390 local authorities across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Based on the number of licensed female breeding dogs recorded in the data and estimates of the total dog population, it suggested that licensed breeders only accounted for between 10.5% and 14% of all UK puppies.

Illegal operations

The remainder are thought to be drawn from other sources such as breeders who do not meet licensing requirements and illegal operations including puppy smuggling.

Although the Government pledged to “end puppy farming” in its Animal Welfare Strategy published late last year, the foundation is concerned about the progress made on the issue, including a proposed consultation on regulatory reforms.

A Defra spokesperson said: “We are committed to ending puppy farming.

“That’s why we will be consulting on reforms to dog breeding to ensure animals are bred and sold responsibly, in a way that protects their health and welfare.”

‘Worrying picture’

But the foundation said the consultation should go ahead now as it warned of a “worrying picture” from its data.

Ms Harney acknowledged the current rules were “far from perfect”, but added: “We’re deeply concerned that so much of the puppy trade continues to take place outside of regulation.

“Dogs are cherished members of many families and they all deserve the best possible start in life.”

Female dogs

The charity has also called for weaknesses in the tracing of breeding dogs to be examined after its data found the number of female dogs being kept for licensed breeding in the UK fell by more than 5,500 from the 2025 total to around 17,400.

Although they stressed it does welcome indications from the figures that licensed breeders are scaling back their operations, officials said they were concerned that so many dogs had “apparently exited the system” over such a short period.

The foundation has further urged the extension of requirements for licensed breeders to make rehoming arrangements for ex-breeding dogs, which already apply in England and Wales, to other nations.