RSPCA Animal Welfare
Case reference FOI2026/01088
Received 7 July 2026
Published 22 July 2026
Request
Please provide the information for the following financial years:
* 2024/25
* 2025/26
If information is not held for both years, please provide the most recent year for which it is held.
Please provide the following information:
1. STAFFING AND CAPACITY
For each financial year, please provide:
a. The number of full-time equivalent staff whose role included animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, dog control, stray dog enforcement, or related animal welfare responsibilities.
b. Whether the council had a dedicated animal welfare officer, animal licensing officer, dog warden, stray dog officer, or equivalent role. Please answer Yes/No and provide the job title where held.
2. COMPLAINTS, REPORTS AND SERVICE DEMAND
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the total number of recorded complaints, reports or service requests received by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, stray dogs, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
If these are recorded under separate categories, please provide the figures using the council’s existing recorded categories.
3. INSPECTIONS AND VISITS
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the total number of recorded inspections or visits carried out by the council relating to animal activity licensing, animal welfare, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
4. ANIMAL ACTIVITY LICENSING
For each financial year, please provide:
a. The number of animal activity licences in force at the end of the financial year.
b. The number of animal activity licence applications received.
c. The number of animal activity licence applications refused.
d. The number of licences suspended or revoked.
If possible, please provide these figures by activity type, for example dog breeding, pet selling, dog boarding, cat boarding, home boarding, dog day care, hiring out horses, and keeping/training animals for exhibition. If this breakdown is not held, please provide the total figures held.
5. ENFORCEMENT ACTION
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the total number of recorded formal enforcement actions taken by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
This may include written warnings, improvement notices, compliance notices, suspension notices, revocations, simple cautions, prosecutions, or other formal enforcement action.
If possible, please provide a breakdown by type of enforcement action. If this breakdown is not held, please provide the total figure held.
6. PROSECUTIONS
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the number of prosecutions brought by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
7. BUDGET AND RESOURCES
For each financial year, please provide:
a. The council’s recorded budget for animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, dog control, stray dogs, or related animal welfare functions.
b. The council’s recorded income from animal activity licensing fees. If these figures are not held separately, please state “not separately recorded”.
8. PARTNERSHIP WORKING
Please confirm whether the council has any recorded partnership arrangement, protocol, memorandum of understanding, service level agreement, or regular operational working arrangement relating to animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, stray dogs or dog control with any of the following:
* Police
* RSPCA
* Other animal welfare charities or rescue organisations
* Veterinary practices or veterinary inspectors
* Other local authorities
Please answer Yes/No for each partner type where held. Please do not provide personal contact details.
Response
Our response:
Please provide the information for the following financial years:
2024/25 £25,939
2025/26 £24,426
1. STAFFING AND CAPACITY
For each financial year, please provide:
a. The number of full-time equivalent staff whose role included animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, dog control, stray dog enforcement, or related animal welfare responsibilities. Animal Licensing – 1 Stray Dogs – 2 Street Scene Enforcement Officers staff covering this service during the day (mon-fri). Out of hours team of 4 on a weekly roster
b. Whether the council had a dedicated animal welfare officer, animal licensing officer, dog warden, stray dog officer, or equivalent role. Please answer Yes/No and provide the job title where held. Yes, 1 x Animal Licensing Officer, No dedicated team covering stray dogs
2. COMPLAINTS, REPORTS AND SERVICE DEMAND
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the total number of recorded complaints, reports or service requests received by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, stray dogs, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
|
|
Animal Welfare |
Animal Activities Licensing |
Suspected Unlicensed Animal Activity |
Stray Dogs |
|
2024/2025 |
0 |
14 |
22 |
0 |
|
2025/2026 |
4 |
16 |
11 |
0 |
If these are recorded under separate categories, please provide the figures using the council’s existing recorded categories.
3. INSPECTIONS AND VISITS
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the total number of recorded inspections or visits carried out by the council relating to animal activity licensing, animal welfare, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
|
|
Animal Welfare |
Animal Activities Licensing |
Suspected Unlicensed Animal Activity |
|
2024/2025 |
0 |
33 |
10 |
|
2025/2026 |
2 |
36 |
9 |
4. ANIMAL ACTIVITY LICENSING
For each financial year, please provide:
a. The number of animal activity licences in force at the end of the financial year.
|
|
2024/2025 |
2025/2026 |
|
Home dog boarding |
14 |
16 |
|
Dog day care |
7 |
7 |
|
Kennels |
0 |
0 |
|
Dog breeding |
5 |
6 |
|
Cattery |
2 |
2 |
|
Hiring out horses |
3 |
3 |
|
Exhibiting animals |
3 |
3 |
|
Selling animals as pets |
2 |
2 |
b. The number of animal activity licence applications received.
2024/2025 – 7:
- 3 home dog boarding
- 1 dog breeding
- 1 hiring out horses,
- 1 selling animals as pets
- 1 dog day care
2025/2026 – 13
- 5 home dog boarding
- 3 dog breeding
- 2 hiring out horses
- 2 dog day care
- 1 cattery
c. The number of animal activity licence applications refused.
2024/2025 – 0
2025/2026 – 0
d. The number of licences suspended or revoked.
Suspended:
2024/2025 – 0
2025/2026 – 1 (dog day care)
Revoked:
2024/2025 – 0
2025/2026 – 0
If possible, please provide these figures by activity type, for example dog breeding, pet selling, dog boarding, cat boarding, home boarding, dog day care, hiring out horses, and keeping/training animals for exhibition. If this breakdown is not held, please provide the total figures held.
5. ENFORCEMENT ACTION
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the total number of recorded formal enforcement actions taken by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
2024/2025:
- Written warnings – 3
- Improvement notices - 0
- Compliance notices - 0
- Suspension notices - 0
- Revocations - 0
- Simple cautions - 0
- Prosecutions - 1
2025/2026 –
- Written warnings – 3
- Improvement notices - 1
- Compliance notices - 0
- Suspension notices - 1
- Revocations - 0
- Simple cautions - 0
- Prosecutions - 0
This may include written warnings, improvement notices, compliance notices, suspension notices, revocations, simple cautions, prosecutions, or other formal enforcement action. If possible, please provide a breakdown by type of enforcement action. If this breakdown is not held, please provide the total figure held.
6. PROSECUTIONS
For each financial year, please provide:
a. the number of prosecutions brought by the council relating to animal welfare, animal activity licensing, dog control, or suspected unlicensed animal activity.
2024/2025 – 1
2025/2026 - 0
7. BUDGET AND RESOURCES
For each financial year, please provide:
a. The council’s recorded budget for animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, dog control, stray dogs, or related animal welfare functions.
Information Not Held – Not separately recorded
b. The council’s recorded income from animal activity licensing fees.
Animal Licensing:
2024/2025 – £15,597
2025/2026 - £14,515
If these figures are not held separately, please state “not separately recorded”.
8. PARTNERSHIP WORKING
Please confirm whether the council has any recorded partnership arrangement, protocol, memorandum of understanding, service level agreement, or regular operational working arrangement relating to animal welfare enforcement, animal activity licensing, stray dogs or dog control with any of the following:
Police - No
RSPCA – MOU currently in discussion
Other animal welfare charities or rescue organisations – No
Veterinary practices or veterinary inspectors - No
* Other local authorities - No
Documents
This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.