What assessment has the Minister made of the prevalence of illegal cat and dog breeding in Wales?
To date, we have not made an assessment about the prevalence of illegal cat breeding. However, any breeders that come to the attention of local authorities are assessed against the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021.
The Welsh Government-funded local authority enforcement project liaises closely with the police in relation to illegal dog breeding and local authorities use some of the grant funding to investigate reports of illegal dog breeding. My officials work closely with the Animal Welfare Licencing Wales Team to ensure high welfare standards at dog breeding establishments in Wales.