Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 31 October 2025.
Will Forster
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Immigration and Asylum)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) encourage the acquisition of dogs through (i) reputable rehoming organisations and (ii) breeders and (b) otherwise promote responsible dog ownership.
Angela Eagle
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government encourages people to adopt from responsible rescue and rehoming organisations. Members of the public can check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has set clear standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures for their members.
The Government also encourages prospective owners who choose to buy a dog to do so through reputable breeders. Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone breeding and selling dogs as a business or who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period must hold a valid licence from their local authority and meet strict welfare standards.
The Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. We look forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from the taskforce in due course.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
