Dog and cat rescue homes are not licensed in England and there is no easy way to monitor and close the bad ones, this has to change

Animal rescues, from independent organisations to larger groups like the RSPCA, take care of some of our most vulnerable animals. The volunteers and staff who run these rescues do great and necessary work, which very often goes without thanks. Many of us may even have pets which came from a rescue; cats and dogs who were in desperate need of a good home.

However, currently in England, dog and cat homes do not need to be licensed to be set up. Anyone could unofficially set up their own animal rescue and take in as many animals as they like. So why is regulation needed?

Smaller rescues can easily become overwhelmed with too many animals as they become better known in their area, without the capacity to take care of them. Volunteers who have not undergone training can lack structure and guidance, which leads to suffering for the animals, as well as for the staff and for adopters of these animals.

While the Animal Welfare Act (2006) means that rescue dogs and cats are kept alive, with sufficient food and housing, it does not account for specific issues which can arise long-term in shelters. The Act does not account for things like the outbreak of disease in overcrowded shelters, or for the proper training of pets which would allow them to be adopted again as pets.

As rescues are not required to be licensed, we have no idea how many there actually are and therefore, rely on whistleblowers to be able to prosecute any offences relating to the Animal Welfare Act. If legislation was brought in, local authorities would oversee enforcement, and so it is important to ensure they are also trained appropriately to do this, so no more animals have to continue to fall through the cracks.

This gap in the law is unusual in the animal licensing world, given many other animal activities are licenced: Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, including selling pets, providing boarding for cats and dogs, hiring out horses, dog breeding and keeping or training animals for exhibition.

It is also unusual that England has not taken this step yet. In Wales there is a code of practice for dog and cat rescues. There also was a consultation in which 82% of respondents were in favour of legislation, and so the Welsh Government announced in June 2025 that they would be moving forward with dog and cat rescue licensing. Scotland has also gone a step further in introducing the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 which acts as a licencing scheme for dog and cat rescues.

Both Scotland and Wales could act as examples of legislation to base any English model off. Additionally, the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, also known as the ADCH, has a set of standards, which rescues can voluntarily sign up to. Additionally, the RSPCA also has a framework around which rescues can model themselves on.

It also would not be helpful for new rules to be too exacting, and instead accidentally encourage shopping for dogs from abroad. RSPCA refers to this practice as “Deliveroo for dogs”, and the Naturewatch Foundation reporting that four in every five dogs in the UK have no verified origin. We also do not want to see small rescues close, but instead them to improve their standards first, before looking at rehoming their animals to larger rescues.

It is welcome news that the Government’s new Animal Welfare Strategy from December 2025 addresses this topic, by committing to launching a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations and developing the evidence base on welfare issues associated with international rescue and rehoming. I am looking forward to seeing progress on future legislation, and safer homes for our pets in need.