See answers to previous information requests

This request relates to the council’s animal welfare enforcement, dog control and animal activity licensing functions. I am seeking aggregated, recorded information only. I am not requesting personal data, complainant details, licence-holder names, addresses, case files, inspection reports, or details of individual investigations.
For English local authorities, this request includes functions relating to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

Please provide the information for the following financial years:
• 2024/25
• 2025/26
If information is not held for both years, please provide the most recent year for which it is held.

STAFFING AND CAPACITY
1 For each financial year, please provide:
a) The number of full-time equivalent staff whose role included animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, dog control, stray dog enforcement, or related animal welfare responsibilities.
b) Whether the council had a dedicated animal welfare officer, animal licensing officer, dog warden, stray dog officer, or equivalent role. Please answer Yes/No and provide the job title where held.

COMPLAINTS, REPORTS AND SERVICE DEMAND
2. For each financial year, please provide:
a) the total number of recorded complaints, reports or service requests received by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, stray dogs, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
If these are recorded under separate categories, please provide the figures using the council’s existing recorded categories.

INSPECTIONS AND VISITS
3. For each financial year, please provide:
a) the total number of recorded inspections or visits carried out by the council relating to animal activity licensing, animal welfare, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.

ANIMAL ACTIVITY LICENSING
4. For each financial year, please provide:
a) The number of animal activity licences in force at the end of the financial year.
b) The number of animal activity licence applications received.
c) The number of animal activity licence applications refused.
d) The number of licences suspended or revoked.
If possible, please provide these figures by activity type, for example dog breeding, pet selling, dog boarding, cat boarding, home boarding, dog day care, hiring out horses, and keeping/training animals for exhibition. If this breakdown is not held, please provide the total figures held.

ENFORCEMENT ACTION
5. For each financial year, please provide:
a) the total number of recorded formal enforcement actions taken by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
This may include written warnings, improvement notices, compliance notices, suspension notices, revocations, simple cautions, prosecutions, or other formal enforcement action. If possible, please provide a breakdown by type of enforcement action. If this breakdown is not held, please provide the total figure held.

PROSECUTIONS
6. For each financial year, please provide:
a) the number of prosecutions brought by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.

BUDGET AND RESOURCES
7. For each financial year, please provide:
a) The council’s recorded budget for animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, dog control, stray dogs, or related animal welfare functions.
b) The council’s recorded income from animal activity licensing fees.
If these figures are not held separately, please state “not separately recorded”.

PARTNERSHIP WORKING
8. Please confirm whether the council has any recorded partnership arrangement, protocol, memorandum of understanding, service level agreement, or regular operational working arrangement relating to animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, stray dogs or dog control with any of the following:
• Police
• RSPCA
• Other animal welfare charities or rescue organisations
• Veterinary practices or veterinary inspectors
• Other local authorities
Please answer Yes/No for each partner type where held. Please do not provide personal contact details.

If any of the information requested is not held, not centrally recorded, or not separately identifiable within the appropriate cost limit, please mark the relevant field as “not held” or “not separately recorded”.