A new investigation by the Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP) has revealed that Leeds City Council received more than 100 complaints about dog breeding and puppy sales in the past three years, yet not a single prosecution has been brought.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show the council recorded 113 complaints about alleged illegal or unlicensed breeders between 2021 and 2024. Over the same period, no licences were refused, no prosecutions were launched, and only one formal warning was issued.
Investigators say the findings highlight a growing national enforcement crisis with underfunded council teams struggling to keep up with a booming, largely online puppy trade and widespread concerns about illegal puppy farming.
“These numbers don’t show councils failing; they show councils being set up to fail,” said Jacob Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Animal Welfare Investigations Project, who has investigated the puppy trade for more than a decade.
“Local officers are trying to police an unregulated multi-million-pound industry with almost no resources or national backing. Without proper investment and coordination, illegal puppy farming will continue unchecked, putting both animals and families at risk.”
The Animal Welfare Investigations Project is recommending that the UK Government create a dedicated animal welfare enforcement fund to support local authorities, improve training and capacity-building standards, and ensure that investigations can lead to prosecutions, where justified.
Leeds is one of more than 300 local authorities contacted as part of the Animal Welfare Investigations Project’s nationwide Freedom of Information investigation into dog breeding enforcement and puppy farming.
Notes to editors
1. Data obtained from Leeds City Council via FOI, covering financial years 2021/22 to 2023/24.
2. The council recorded 113 complaints (“service requests”) about dog breeding and sales, with zero prosecutions and one formal warning.
3. The Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP) is a non-profit organisation investigating the UK puppy trade and advocating for stronger enforcement of animal welfare legislation.
4. AWIP’s investigation has gathered data from over 300 local authorities across England and Wales, revealing a widespread lack of prosecutions despite persistent complaints about illegal breeding and puppy farming.
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