Starting a cat or dog breeding business

• Hobby or business
• Dog and cat breeders in the Netherlands
• Rules business breeding
• Importing dogs and cats
• Transporting dogs and cats
• Liability as a breeder
• New owner
• General starter information

Hobby or business

If you sell a litter of puppies or kittens once, you are not an entrepreneur. If you have more litters and try to make a profit from them, you may be a business. You then breed on a commercial basis. The Dutch Animal Husbandry Decree (Besluit houders van dieren, in Dutch) lays down the rules for breeding animals. According to this decree, you are a commercial breeder if you sell, deliver or breed more than twenty dogs or cats in a year.

KVK and the Tax Administration see the term 'business' in different ways. For example, KVK uses the entrepreneurial criteria. The Tax Administration (in Dutch) looks at whether you are an entrepreneur for income tax purposes.

Dog and cat breeders in the Netherlands

The number of dog and cat breeders in the Netherlands has risen slightly since 2020.

Rules for commercial breeders

As a professional cat or dog breeder, you are required to comply with certain rules and conditions. These rules are related, for example, to the registration of the animals, care for the animals, and training requirements for you as a breeder. The number-one priority should be the health and wellbeing of the animals. The following requirements apply:

Animal Husbandry Decree

Article 3.4 of the Dutch Animal Husbandry Decree (Besluit houders van dieren) contains rules for breeding companion animals such as dogs and cats. These rules are designed to prevent disease or serious hereditary disorders of the animal’s appearance or behaviour. There is also a cap on the number of litters you can have within a specific period. For dogs, this is 1 litter per 12 months, while cats can have 2 litters over a 12-month period and a maximum of 3 during a 24-month period. In addition, the Decree also sets requirements for the accommodation of animals.

Location

The site where you keep dogs and cats for commercial purposes requires a Unique Business Number, UBN. You can request this from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The number is intended to have a map of animal residences so that the government can act quickly in the event of an animal disease crisis. The local authority in the city or town where you intend to be based may set certain requirements for your location, for example, an environment and planning permit or requirements regarding the environment plan.

Training requirements

When applying for your UBN and animal location with the RVO you must list the name of a manager. That is the person responsible for the day-to-day running of the business. As a manager, you must be in possession of proof of competence. This demonstrates that you have the knowledge and expertise required to handle and care for dogs or cats. You will receive this proof after completing a training course or programme listed in the centraal register beroepsopleidingen (Crebo, in Dutch) of the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO).

Kennel name for dogs

A kennel name is a type of first name or last name used to identify a dog and its breeder. Note that this name differs from your business name.

If you are looking to join a professional association for a specific breed or if you intend to breed purebreds, you can choose a kennel name. This complies with the criteria of the Management board for Responsible Breeding (Raad van Beheer voor verantwoord fokken) and means that your dogs will have an identifiable kennel name. You can start using a kennel name once you have registered with the Management board.

Some local authorities in the Netherlands impose a dog tax (in Dutch) on dog owners. For the number of dogs, a dog kennel is generally classified under a lower rate for municipal dog tax. Contact your local authority to check whether a kennel name from the Management board is required for the lower rate.

Dog tax

Some municipalities in the Netherlands levy dog tax. A dog kennel usually falls under a lower municipal dog tax rate for the number of dogs. Check with your municipality whether a kennel name is required for that lower rate.

EU Pet Passport

It is compulsory in the Netherlands to have dogs microchipped within 7 weeks of their birth. A microchip is also required if you intend to transport cats across the border. You can have your animals microchipped by a veterinarian or trained, approved person. All dogs must be in possession of a European Pet Passport, which specifies the dog’s origin, the name of the breeder, and the vaccinations the dog has received.
You can apply for the passport from any vet.

Importing dogs and cats

To meet the demand for dogs and cats in the Netherlands, you also have the option to import puppies and kittens from abroad. If you are importing dogs and cats, you require a trade registration from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA, in Dutch). In addition, you are required to maintain and update a database containing the destinations from and to which you source your animals.  Dogs or cats from outside the Netherlands who have not been microchipped or received a rabies vaccine are barred from entering the Netherlands.

Transporting dogs and cats

To transport dogs and cats, you sometimes require a permit. This depends on the distance you are travelling and the duration of your journey. You do not need a permit for distances up to 65 kilometres. If you intend to use a vehicle to transport dogs or cars for more than 8 consecutive hours, you require a Vervoer Levende Dieren (Life Animal Transport, VLD) certificate.

You can apply for permits to transport live animals from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA, in Dutch). The Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer (Netherlands Vehicle Authority, in Dutch) will inspect the vehicles.

Breeders’ liability

The sale of dogs and cats is subject to consumer law. As an expert, you are expected to know which breeds are prone to which diseases. Have the parent animals tested for any hereditary diseases and make sure their offspring get their first shots. If a puppy or kitten turns out to have an underlying sickness of which you, as a breeder, should have been aware, the buyer may hold you liable.

You are not permitted to include any exclusion clauses in your sales contract. Any provisions stating that you are not responsible in the case of any genetic conditions or specifying a maximum amount in compensation for damages will not be valid. You can also include a provision in the sales contract stating that the buyer must first offer the puppy or kitten back to you if they change their mind.

Insurance

In order to avoid any problems, it is recommended that you take out liability insurance. The insurance company will assess your sales contract or terms of supply for legal accuracy.

New owner

If you start a breeding business out of love for animals, you obviously want your animals to end up in good homes. As a dedicated breeder, you will be able to tell the new owner everything they need to know about the early life stages, parents, and features of the young animal. However, you can also demand that future owners meet certain requirements. For example, membership in a breeders’ association, an extensive initial interview prior to the sale, and requirements for the buyer’s family situation or living situation. You may also need to put buyers on a waiting list if you do not have enough young animals available or if you are still waiting for a litter. You can choose to include a clause forbidding the buyer to sell the animals on to third parties, so you can be certain where your pups or kittens will end up. Make sure your client is aware of the terms and conditions in advance.

General information for new business owners

In addition to the above, new business owners must also deal with issues which generally apply to new business owners, including:

• insurance
• administrative records
• a business name
• choosing a legal form
• Registering with KVK