Fears dogs reared in puppy farms are being sold in the borough have prompted a shake-up on licensing for Wokingham pet shops.

Pet traders, animal charities and animal welfare organisations are being invited to have a say on plans to change the way pet shops are granted a licence by Wokingham Borough Council in the future to sell puppies.

The move follows concerns raised to the council by members of the public, the RSPCA and British Veterinary Association about puppies reared in puppy farms, where conditions are poor and birth defects are rife, being sold in the borough.

Animals bred at the farms can carry disease and their origin is often untraceable. While no illegal puppy farms are known to operate in the area, the council says unscrupulous puppy traders can offer to sell on the pets to businesses and individuals.

Mandy Dorman, animal warden at the council, said: “The extra licensing conditions we’d like to bring in would ensure our licensed pet shops would have to make checks including the puppy’s age and they’d have to ensure it had been bred by a licensed breeder living within 45 miles of the store.

“If all these extra checks are carried out then it eliminates the risk of a puppy being sourced from puppy farms – which generally aren’t licensed, aren’t within 45 minutes’ drive of Wokingham borough and don’t bother to start essential healthcare vaccinations.

“By doing a few simple extra checks and ensuring all these conditions are met, our pet shops would be able to rest assured they were selling on happy and healthy puppies.”

The council’s environmental health and licensing teams are investigating whether to revise standard pet shop licence conditions so only puppies purchased from a licensed dog breeder that owns the mother can be sold on.

Conditions for pet shops would also include:

- Dogs must be micro-chipped and started on a course of vaccinations before they are received by the licensed pet shop.

- Dogs should wear a collar and ID tag while in the pet shop.

- Pedigree dogs must not be sold without pedigree certificates.

- No puppy can be sold on to a licensed pet shop unless it has spent the first eight weeks with its mother.

A consultation document is being sent to all pet shops in the borough, as well as animal organisations such as the RSPCA, the Dogs’ Trust and Battersea Dogs’ Home.

The additional conditions for licences recommended include to only sell dogs obtained directly from the breeder and to only purchase dogs as part of a business from a breeder less than 45 miles from the licensed store.

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Puppy Mills breed misery, boycott pet stores that sell puppies. Adopt! Don't Shop