What the four nations actually allow
Animal welfare is devolved, and since 2023 the four nations have genuinely
diverged. This is the same practice compared across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland, with the primary source and a last-checked date against every cell.
Last reviewed 25 August 2026; the oldest cell on this page was last checked against its primary source on
22 August 2026. Every cell carries its own date and source below.
Data: /api/law.json.
This is a description of the
law, not legal advice. Every row links to the primary source and carries the date it
was last checked. Check the source before relying on it — general licences are reissued
each January and commencement dates move.
Companion animals
Commercial sale of a puppy or kitten by anyone other than its breeder, the subject of the campaign known as Lucy's Law, is prohibited through pet-selling licence conditions in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has consulted but has not yet made equivalent rules.
England
Banned
- In force from
- 6 April 2020
- Instrument
- Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, Schedule 6, paragraph 1(1)(a)
A licensed pet seller must not advertise or offer for sale a dog that was not bred by the licence holder. The condition was inserted by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 and applies to sales made on or after 6 April 2020.
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
Scotland
Banned
- In force from
- 1 September 2021
- Instrument
- Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, Schedule 7, paragraph 2(1)(a)
A licence holder must not advertise or offer for sale an animal that was not bred by the licence holder, with an exception for an animal over twelve months old acquired for breeding. The same schedule prohibits selling a puppy or kitten under eight weeks old or separating it from its mother before that age.
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
Wales
Banned
- In force from
- 10 September 2021
- Instrument
- Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021
Licence conditions require that a puppy or kitten offered for sale was bred by the licence holder, which removes the commercial third-party seller from the chain. The regulations came into force on 10 September 2021.
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
Northern Ireland
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- no instrument recorded
No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting the sale of a puppy or kitten by someone other than its breeder has been identified. Dog breeding establishments are licensed by district councils, but the licensing regime does not restrict who may sell the animal on.
Proposed change — not yet law
DAERA consulted on new rules for the sale and supply of puppies and kittens between 2 June and 25 August 2025. On 18 February 2026 the Minister announced next steps: anyone selling or supplying a puppy or kitten would have to have bred it, and sellers of animals under six months old would have to register with their district council. The department said legislation was anticipated in autumn 2026.
Source
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
How to read this
Status describes the position today. Anything proposed, consulted on or before a
legislature is shown separately as a proposed change, and is never counted as law.
“Not recorded” means not recorded. Where a commencement date or an
instrument has not been confirmed against a primary source, the cell says so rather than
estimating.
Data: /api/law.json. Corrections with a primary
source are welcome — a wrong cell here is worse than a missing one.