Analysis: Will Scotland implement a licensing scheme for pet services?

The Scottish Government has recently shared the results of a consultation about licensing pet services in the country in a bid to determine a possible next legislative move. 

The majority of those who took part in the survey supported the implementation of a licensing scheme for commercial dog walkers (89.1%), dog groomers (82.2%) and canine fertility businesses (89%). 

GlobalPETS learned that by the summer, officials will disclose whether any legislation will be proposed and what it will look like.

Dog walking

Those in favor of licensing commercial dog walking argued that it would provide control and oversight in an unregulated and fast-growing sector, ensuring the welfare of dogs under commercial dog walkers (CDWs). 

Respondents advocated for CDWs to mandatorily have public liability insurance and/or a canine first aid qualification. 

There was strong support that applicants are required to hold relevant qualifications (85.8%) and demonstrate that they maintain an acceptable level of record keeping (88.1%).

Furthermore, 87.3% of participants in the consultation agreed that the licensing authority should establish the maximum number of dogs that can be walked at any one time.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC), the Kennel Club and The Dogs Trust have suggested adopting a licensing scheme similar to those employed by local authorities. However, the Pet Industry Federation (PFI) is keen to see “some form of formal regulation,” such as a dog-walking registration scheme.

Dog grooming

The majority (76.9%) of respondents supported the need for groomers to be properly trained as a prerequisite for licensing. 

According to the insights provided by the Scottish Government, citizens expressed that a formal qualification shouldn’t be a barrier to holding a license if an applicant has extensive and demonstrable experience.

More than 8 out of 10 (82.2%) of those surveyed agreed that dog grooming businesses should be subject to a statutory licensing scheme.

Only some respondents proposed a voluntary, industry-led accreditation or registration scheme instead of new licensing regulations to address the scale of issues associated with dog groomers. 

Canine fertility businesses

Major concerns were raised about the need to monitor the activities of canine fertility businesses and the sector’s rapid growth.

Most (89%) supported a proposal to license canine fertility businesses. An additional 84.4% endorsed the preference for a veterinarian to be present during any licensing authority inspection of a canine fertility business.

There was also overwhelming support for canine fertility businesses to submit evidence of health to obtain licenses (88%) and provide information on any stud dogs owned by or intended for business use (91%).

There was broad support—including from the British Veterinary Association (BVA)—that these businesses should renew their licenses yearly instead of every 3 years as is required now. 

The BVA supported the proposal for licensing canine fertility businesses as this “rapidly evolving” sector, in terms of product offerings and business models, has “significant potential” to negatively impact animal welfare. 

Animal boarding and daycare

More than 8 out of 10 (82.5%) respondents supported reworking legislation for animal boarding facilities and removing the current animal boarding legislation from 1963, as it was deemed inflexible and outdated.

They called for stringent checks on license holders under the new framework and caution toward granting licenses only to experienced professionals. 

More than half of the participants (53.2%) raised concerns about the adoption of licensing, many of which were about the increase in costs for a more robust licensing scheme. 

They argued that increased costs could force boarding facilities out of business, leading to a supply-and-demand problem. They also expressed concern about the need for adequate training, knowledge of canine first aid and consideration of the impact on neighbors before granting franchisee licenses.