Closed petition Require a licence for the sale of pet animals in any circumstance

Closed on 7 March 2021

The Pet Animals Act 1951 dictates that keepers of pet shops must have a licence, and Lucy's Law bans third-party puppy & kitten sales, but many who sell pet animals are excluded from these requirements due to infrequent sales or selling of older dogs. This loophole makes enforcement much harder.

If all sales required a license this would make it much easier to spot those not adhering to this. It would also make it easier for members of the public to check their seller before a purchase, rather than relying on intuition.

This would not negatively impact responsible pet sellers as these are already required to have a licence. The fees for licences could go some or all of the way towards covering costs for license issuing and continued monitoring, including regular microchip checks.