In accordance with Section 9 of the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010, the operator of a Dog Breeding Establishment must apply to their local authority responsible for the area in which it is situated for registration as a Dog Breeding Establishment (DBE).
Any person that has six or more female dogs over six months of age and capable of breeding is considered a DBE and must submit an application form to the local authority. This includes dog breeders, commercial boarding kennels, hunt clubs etc. Under the Act the Council must maintain a register of approved Dog Breeding Establishments.