Update on Licensing of Cat Breeders

I gave the following update to Council Delegates yesterday:

This issue has been under discussion for the past two years or so and I have previously issued notices giving information on the range of proposals that have been made, these have differed both in scope and potential impact on our hobby. 

Over the past few months I am pleased to say that I have been able to gain some real clarity from DEFRA on how licensing will work and the criteria that will be applied. 

This specific criteria applies only in England; the Welsh Assembly has drafted something very similar for Wales; the Scottish Parliament has no plans to introducing licensing at this time. 

DEFRA intends to use Statutory Instruments to amend the current Animal Welfare Act 2006 – these were drafted in September and are currently titled “The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018”.  I have been given a copy by DEFRA. 

There are five schedules covering: The Boarding of Cats & Dogs; Dog Breeding; Pet Vending; Hiring out of Horse; and Exhibiting Animals. 

The licensing of cat breeding will be operated under the Pet Vending schedule, this schedule is written to cover all establishments selling animals either to an intermediary or directly to the public, eg. pet shops, commercial breeding establishments.

As many of you know, I have been working through the Canine & Feline Sector Group to feed in views and seek both amendments and clarification of the Pet Vending schedule as it relates to cats, and to ensure the guidance drafted to assist inspectors in interpreting the schedule is fit for purpose.  Since June I have been part of a working group which has now refined the guidance and our recommended changes have been accepted by DEFRA.

I have also been able to gain confirmation from DEFRA that the Exhibiting Animals schedule will not apply to cat shows. 

So the current position is as follows:

·         Since the licensing of cat breeders will be governed under the Pet Vending schedule, the key factor in determining who is in scope to be licensed is whether the person is breeding with the intention of making a profit.  This will be the crucial factor in establishing that a breeder is operating commercially.  There will be no maximum litter number per year or similar (as with dog breeding), what will be considered is how much money the breeder is receiving from kitten/cat sales and stud fees off-set by the cost of keeping and breeding said cats.  Therefore both the number of kittens sold and price they are sold for are relevant.

·         If there is any doubt about whether a breeder needs a licence then they will need to evidence whether or not they are making a profit (probably on an annual basis).  It is therefore imperative that breeders keep accurate financial records in order to prove whether or not they are making a profit.  All the obvious costs will be in scope – food, litter, vets bills, heat & light, advertising, showing, stud fees, etc. 

·         Each breeder will need to decide whether they need to apply for a licence from their local authority, depending upon whether they believe they are in scope, ie. making a profit from selling cats/kittens.  If they believe they can demonstrate they are not making a profit they will not need to apply for a licence.  Any breeder who is not licensed, but is considered by the LA to be licensable, will be required to prove why they do not need such a licence.  There will be penalties applied to those people operating without a licence.

·         DEFRA would like to place the legislation before Parliament next spring, but this may be put back depending on the weight of parliamentary business.  The earliest the licensing regulations could come into effect is around July 2018, but it is likely that October 2018 is more realistic.  There is likely to be something like an 18 month implementation period before local authorities will have Environmental Health Inspectors trained and everything in place (and a period of time for breeders to apply for a licence)

·         It is my belief that the large majority of cat breeders registering with GCCF will be out of scope and will not require a licence.  However, it is the responsibility of each breeder to check their own situation and to act accordingly.   

I will issue a further update as and when I have more information to share, or if the situation outlined above changes in any meaningful way.

Steve Crow

5^th October 2017

Combined Show and BAC Review

Following the agreement at June Council by a majority vote to embrace the sectional changes within GCCF shows and an extensive overhaul of the Breed Advisory system alongside of a revised programme for Judge/steward training, the combined groups met recently to plan and implement the process of change.

It was the consensus of all, that the groups in their current format were no longer the best vehicles to undertake the next steps. After considerable discussion it was decided to split into three groups each with a specific focus of implementation to oversee however it is fully recognised that there will be areas of overlap and interdependency.

Show Structure Implementation

Chairman: Kate Kaye

Members: Heather McRae, Elaine Robinson ad Lisa Robinson-Talboys

1. October Council Statement – summary of completion of SRG work

2. Recognition that the addition of breeds currently not recognised by GCCF can still be embraced via procedures as set out in the rules.

3. General publicity to as wide an audience as possible

4. Invitation of feedback using means such as: SRG FB site, Email

5. Liaison with show managements

6. Liaison with GCCF Office

BAC amalgamation

Chairman: John Hansson

Members: Jules Candler, Jen Lacey, Sally Rainbow-Ockwell

1. Contact with all BACs to give them the detail of their groups (where relevant) and make a check of the draft judge analysis

2. Data now available indicating which judges have not undertaken an engagement for five years, confirmation with BACs and discussion on options so that these can be highlighted for SMs

3. BACs to continue as a forum for discussion, and Judge Appointment Groups to cover group judging with BAC or Breed club representation.

4. ‘Panel’ to determine outcome of split decisions

5. Seminars no longer mandatory as a separate event may be held at breed shows

6. Fee to JAGs covering several breeds to be £50 for appointment & promotion

7. An examination of BAC funds and consideration of financial viability

8. Time limit for BAC response to be the end of October, but not necessary to have a formal meeting unless already planned as discussion and feedback can be electronic.

Judge Training

Chairman: Peter Collin

Members: Val Anderson, Sue Dalton-Hobbs, Shelagh Heavens, Val Kilby, Helen Marriott- Power,

                Peter Williams

1. The Training Scheme for new judges

2. Mentoring

3. Tutorials and assessments

4. Full Judges

5. Transition and training within the new Grand groups

Although this move could be seen to increase both time and expense, it is envisaged that the majority of work/issues within these groups will be undertaken and resolved via email or facetime.

It was recognised that the implementation of the sectional changes is not dependant on the BAC amalgamation and Judge training aspects being finalised. An earlier move to the new structure with a limited crossover period was considered to be beneficial to exhibitors, show managers and especially judges who will get the opportunity to judge the revised groups breeds in side classes before they are asked to undertake the breed or grand classes.

The finalizing the “mechanics” of this change is underway so it is proposed that this aspect of change should start as soon as possible therefore the intention is to take a proposal to this effect to October council. We are looking towards February 2018 for the changes to be implemented. It is envisaged that there will be a short period wherein, due to some shows having already printed their schedules, that both the current and new Grand structure will be in “play” with the changeover fully completed by June 2018.