Rabbits: Analysis of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021

This report by Hop to Save Rabbits provides a critical analysis of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. By reviewing Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from Scottish councils, the research identifies a significant “implementation gap” between statutory intent and the actual protection of rabbits.

Key Findings

• Minimal Oversight: Between 2023 and 2025, only 11 rabbit breeding licences were issued across the entirety of Scotland.
• Enforcement Vacuum: Out of 31 responding local authorities, 28 reported having no licensed breeders at all. Furthermore, there were zero recorded enforcement actions or welfare interventions during this period, suggesting a lack of proactive monitoring.
• The “Six-Litter” Loophole: Current legislation only requires a licence for those breeding six or more litters annually. This threshold is double that of cats and dogs (three litters), despite the fact that rabbits reach sexual maturity faster and reproduce more frequently.
• Legislative Contradiction: A “compliance trap” exists where a breeder only triggers the need for a licence at their sixth litter, yet the welfare standards within that licence often prohibit exceeding four litters per year.

Core Recommendations To address these systemic weaknesses, the report proposes several urgent reforms:

1. Lower the Licensing Threshold: Align rabbit breeding with dogs and cats by requiring a licence for three or more litters per year.
2. Standardised Inspections: Introduce mandatory annual inspections involving veterinary professionals with rabbit-specific expertise.
3. Digital Traceability: Require valid licence numbers for all online sales and advertisements to prevent unregulated “backyard” breeding.
4. National Transparency: Establish a publicly accessible register of licensed breeders and inspection outcomes to empower consumers and rescuers.
5. Support for Rescues: Modernise the system to ensure that genuine animal welfare establishments are supported rather than burdened by the same administrative fees as commercial enterprises.