Thank you for your response to our Freedom of Information request (reference WBCIR:22098) and for explaining that the full request would exceed the appropriate cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would therefore like to submit the following refined request. Please provide the following information for dog breeding licensing only.

Unless otherwise stated, please provide information for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Where requested, please provide a snapshot as at 31 March 2026.
Where your authority does not hold a particular figure, please state “not held” rather than leaving the response blank. Where figures are estimates, please identify them as estimates. Where categories overlap, please explain this in your response.

1. In which team or department does responsibility for animal activity licensing sit?
For example: Environmental Health, Licensing, Legal, Trading Standards, Animal Health, or another team.

2. How many active dog breeding licences did your authority have as at 31 March 2026?
If your authority records the number of licensed dog breeders separately from the number of active licences, please also provide that figure.

3. Of the active dog breeding licences as at 31 March 2026, how many were issued for:
a) One year
b) Two years
c) Three years

4. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many new dog breeding licence applications were:
a) Received
b) Approved
c) Refused
d) Withdrawn

5. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many dog breeding licence renewal applications were:
a) Received
b) Approved
c) Refused
d) Withdrawn

6. For any refused new or renewal applications, please provide the reason for refusal.

7. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many inspections were carried out in relation to:
a) New dog breeding licence applications
b) Dog breeding licence renewal applications
c) Interim, additional, unannounced or compliance inspections outside the grant or renewal process

8. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, how many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports did your authority receive relating to dog breeding?

9. Of these complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports, how many related to:
a) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeding
b) Complaints or allegations about licensed dog breeders
c) Other dog breeding-related concerns, for example noise or sickness in puppies

10. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports resulted in a physical visit or inspection to a site or premises? Please split, where held, between:
a) Licensed dog breeders
b) Alleged or suspected unlicensed dog breeders

11. How many complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated but did not result in a physical visit or inspection?

12. Where complaints, allegations, service requests or intelligence reports were investigated without a physical visit, please briefly describe the main method or methods used. For example: desktop review, online advert checks, telephone or email contact, review of licensing records, or liaison with another agency.