Licence To Breed Rabbits to Supply Petshops?-Opinions Please

As part of my campaign to stop the immoral practice of *some* breeders offloading Rabbits to be sold at Petshops/Garden Centres I am now looking into ways to try to make it necessary for ANY Breeder that supplies a retail outlet to have to obtain a licence to do so. This would involve regular inspections of the Breeder's premises by a Vet/Animal Welfare Officer. Also by the local council environmental health officer. A clause in the licence stating a LIMIT to the number of Rabbits bred per year and a Vet certificate for EVERY Rabbit sold to the retail outlet by the Breeder.

Obviously this would involve a cost so the *breeder* would have to pay an annual fee of, say £500, to obtain a licence. No Petshop/Garden Centre could then *legally* sell a Rabbit without documentation to *prove* that he/she came from a *licenced* breeder. Any breach of this law would result in a Trading Standards prosecution and a HEFTY fine for the retailer.

Ideally I want the sale of Rabbits from retail outlets BANNED. But in the meantime making it a more complex and costly practice for breeders to offload unwanted 'stock' to the retail trade.

How anyone can sleep at night knowing that they have sent a little life, that THEY allowed into the world, off to an unknown future is beyond me

Janex

this is already supposed to happen, the councils do make them have licences unless they are very discreet and they are nt known here in Manchester

GREAT IDEA ...IF IT COULD BE ENFORCED ....OR SHOULD I SAY IF THE POWERS THAT BE CAN BE BOTHERED TO ENFORCE IT:roll: :roll: :roll:

AT LEAST IT WOULD PUT SOME CONTROLS IN PLACE :?

That is a really excellent idea. Good luck. If you need any help from anyone on here let us know!

I think it's a great idea, do you really think its possible to enforce? Willing to help if needed :wave:

http://www.braintree.gov.uk/Braintree/business/licensing/Pet+Shop.htm

Some breeders have been told that they need a license if they are selling rabbits from their homes, lots of conflicting views to if its true or not, I suspect you'd need to be selling a sufficient number to cause concern. If you had to pay for a license you'd then also be classed as a 'business' so there would be all sorts of tax implications.

Unfortunately, as with all things, plenty of loopholes.

My understanding is that you currently need a licence if you sell animals that you did not breed yourself, that's probably what most places define as 'trading'.

If someone is actively breeding rabbits to sell on then then surely they are a business, so I don't see a problem with there being tax implications etc.

I think this is a great idea. At least it would hopefully make some people think before breeding. Like you say, the ideal scenario would be stopping these places selling small animals full stop, but it would be a small step in the right direction.

Rebec

AlisonA said:

My understanding is that you currently need a licence if you sell animals that you did not breed yourself, that's probably what most places define as 'trading'.

If someone is actively breeding rabbits to sell on then then surely they are a business, so I don't see a problem with there being tax implications etc.

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Yes that's my understanding too.

I am getting in touch with the BRC as I want to establish what their take is on the fact that *some* of their members are contributing to a dire Rabbit Welfare situation by selling to retail outlets Rabbits of dubious lineage without any real thought to the potential health implications of the cross-breeding.
My Vet is taking an interest in this too, which will be helpful

Janex

I think that's great idea if it can be enforced. It would hopefully stop random/mix breeding and the people that would pay to be licenced would presumably be those *proper* breeders who are keeping some of the pure breeding lines going

Helen x

Is this just going to be for rabbits? What about all the other poor animals bred to sell in pet shops?

I think it's a good idea of course, but I just don't see how it'd actually be taken seriously or enforced

I think it's a wonderful idea. And I agree with Jocelyn that it should involve the other animals as well, there's quite a few unserious breeders on rodents as well:?

Jocelyn said:

Is this just going to be for rabbits? What about all the other poor animals bred to sell in pet shops?

I think it's a good idea of course, but I just don't see how it'd actually be taken seriously or enforced

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I am focusing on Rabbits. I agree that it should apply to *all* animals, but I can only try to do what I can, so to speak.
It may not be 'taken seriously' but I can no longer sit moaning about the selling of Rabbits from retail outlets yet do nothing about it
Even if I fail at least I will have tried

Janex

I think it is a good idea, although I am concerned about how it will be policed. Not sure how the poor people who have bought mis sexed rabbits will get on who end up with a litter, I guess they would have no choice but to either dump them in the woods, rehome them without a certificate to friends, give them away on free ads or to hand them over to a rescue. Not sure if this would creat a rabbit black market or not.

Hopefully it will put off some smaller breeders if they have to pay about £500 for a licence as this will eat into their profits, this could make them breed more animals to help offset the cost of this ..........

Although I agree with it, I'm not sure it's achievable at the moment- you'd need strong justification why it should apply to rabbits and not other pets...and contacts to put it forward for legislation. I would have thought the RSPCA, Blue Cross, PDSA etc. would have already considered something like that? Maybe ask them?

Perhaps we should come up with a plan to lobby P@H to stop selling rabbits- as they biggest retailer, if they stopped it would have a big impact.

i love the idea i doubt many people would want to pay £500 for a license though which will put alot of people off breeding anyways i say its worth a try

although pets at home maybe the largest pet shops to be selling rabbits ...i dont think they are the worst:? :? :?

lots of smaller pet shops / garden centres sell rabbits too. often cheaper....which i think is worse .

perhaps if baby rabbits cost more it would put people off :roll:

There's a little independent pet shop round my way with a chalkboard out the front with "we buy rabbits guinea pigs kittens etc" (or words to that effect) written on it. It makes me mad, that's so irresponsible they must have absolutely no clue where those animals have come from, any problems they will have, and it just gives ignorant people a reason to breed :evil:

i agree with bunnymadhouse my local garden centre is horrible there always getting in rabbits with 'problems' i know one of teh people who supply the garden centre and he constantly breeds from his does and kits go to the garden centre at 6 weeks old then doe is remated. the garden centre sells hutches alot smaller then the ones you find at P@h. im now barred from the garden centre :roll: lol

you need a pets liecence if you commercialy breed but in order to do this you need a heck of alot of rabbits and it need to be that you make more money than you put in i have already looked into this the cost also would be £250 so sorry but up in smoke comes to mind!!!