Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Written evidence submitted by Claire Horton-Bussey

Amongst many other threads that you will no doubt examine (puppy farmers, lack of health testing in pedigree dogs etc), backyard breeders really need to be regulated.

There are so many people living on benefits or low incomes who see dog breeding as a nice little earner. You only have to look at all the local For Sale sites on Facebook or on Gumtree to see that people are breeding whatever they can get their hands on—cats, dogs, reptiles etc, even swapping breeding animals for games consoles etc.

They have no concern for the animals they are breeding, do not health test etc, and no doubt do not pay tax on what they are earning!