These Regulations amend the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the Licensing Regulations”), which provide for the licensing of persons to carry out certain activities involving animals.

Regulation 2(2) amends a licence condition applicable to the licensable activity described in paragraph 4 of schedule 1 of the Licensing Regulations (animal rehoming activities). The amendment removes the prohibition on the supply of kittens (cats aged less than 6 months) which were not bred by the licence holder.

Regulation 2(3) inserts new licence conditions applicable to the licensable activity described in paragraph 8 of schedule 1 of the Licensing Regulations (operating an animal welfare establishment). The new licence conditions prohibit the supply of certain categories of animal as pets in the course of the licensable activity.

Regulations 3 and 4 make provision for existing licences for animal rehoming activities and operating an animal welfare establishment to be varied so that they are subject to the amendments made by regulation 2 in relation to the carrying on of the licensable activity on or after 10 October 2021.