Manitoba Dog Breeder Licensing Requirements

Manitoba licenses dog breeders under Part 5 of The Animal Care Act. No one may operate companion animal breeding premises without a licence issued by the director (s. 25.1(1)). Breeding premises are premises where more than the prescribed number of female companion animals capable of reproduction are kept (s. 25.1(2)), and the Animal Care Regulation sets that number at four for dogs, so keeping five or more breeding-capable female dogs triggers the licence (Regulation, s. 6.1). A female is deemed capable of reproduction unless the owner or operator satisfies the director or an animal protection officer otherwise (s. 25.1(3)), and no licence is needed if the operator shows that the animals are not kept for the purpose of breeding them and selling their offspring (s. 25.1(4)). Two other licences can also apply: a kennel licence for premises where more than seven companion animals are kept and the operator is paid to keep them or keeps them in connection with a commercial enterprise, and for pounds, shelters and rescues (s. 25; Regulation, s. 6(1)), and a companion animal retail store licence for commercial premises where companion animals are kept and offered for sale to the public (s. 25.2). A licensed breeding premises does not also need a kennel licence unless it otherwise meets the kennel criteria, and agricultural operations and sled dog racing teams are exempt from kennel licensing (Regulation, s. 6(2), (3)). Every breeder, licensed or not, must give dogs an adequate source of food and water, adequate medical attention when wounded or ill, and reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold, and must not confine them in an area with inadequate space, unsanitary conditions, inadequate ventilation or lighting, or no opportunity for exercise so as to significantly impair their health or well-being (s. 2(1)). Provincial law sets no limit on how often a dog may be bred and no minimum age for selling puppies. In Winnipeg, the Responsible Pet Ownership By-law (No. 92/2013) requires a resident who intends to use a specific female dog for breeding to obtain a city dog breeding permit, limits that dog to one litter a year and four in her lifetime, and requires the permit number to be displayed wherever puppies are advertised for sale (By-law, ss. 6.1, 6.2). The by-law also caps a property at six dogs and cats over six months old, no more than four of them dogs, unless the person holds an excess animal permit, and that cap applies even to holders of a provincial breeding premises or kennel licence (By-law, s. 25). Change ahead: The Animal Care Amendment Act (S.M. 2026, c. 16) received royal assent on June 1, 2026 and comes into force only on proclamation, which had not happened as of October 2026. When in force, it repeals the kennel, breeding premises and retail store licences in Part 5 and instead requires a licence, unless exempted by regulation, to sell, give away, transfer or advertise a 'pet animal' (a type or class of companion animal set by regulation) (new ss. 24.1, 24.2).

Applications go to the director under The Animal Care Act. Licensing decisions are made by the Provincial Veterinarian, Animal Welfare, who leads the Animal Welfare section of Manitoba Agriculture's Animal Health and Welfare Branch ([email protected]; 204-945-8000 in Winnipeg; 1-888-945-8001 toll free). The application must be made on a form approved by the director and include a statement of the types and breeds of animals to be housed or bred and the number of breeding and non-breeding adult animals, any other information or documents the director requires, and a scale drawing or blueprint of the premises (Animal Care Regulation, s. 8). The director may ask for more information and may require a bond or other security (Act, s. 28). A licence is issued only if the director is satisfied that the premises and proposed operation meet the regulation, and it may carry conditions, including a maximum number of animals (s. 29). Licensed premises must be built to the standards in the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association's A Code of Practice for Canadian Kennel Operations, have electrical fixtures that meet the Manitoba Building Code for wet environments, keep bedding dry and clean, sanitize a cage or pen before a new animal goes in, supply clean water and a nutritionally adequate diet (no animal may go without food for more than 24 hours), follow the Code's immunization and health care guidelines, present ill animals to a veterinarian, and operate under a veterinarian-approved health management program with written protocols for preventive care, vaccination, parasite control and humane euthanasia (Regulation, ss. 12 to 15). The licence must be posted in a clearly visible place, cannot be transferred to another person or other premises, and the premises cannot be altered without the director's prior written approval (Act, ss. 29(5), 31(2); Regulation, s. 10). A refused applicant receives written reasons and may appeal to the Animal Care Appeal Board within 30 days, as may a licence holder whose licence is suspended, cancelled or made subject to conditions (ss. 30, 33(1)). Manitoba Agriculture also offers a voluntary Kennel Training Certificate Program for kennel owners and employees. In Winnipeg, a city breeding permit requires a valid intact dog licence, a letter from a veterinarian supporting the breeding of the specific dog or proof of purebred registration, current rabies vaccination, and an inspection of the breeding property; applications are made to Animal Services at 1057 Logan Avenue (By-law, s. 6.1(3)).

The companion animal breeding premises licence fee is $100 CAD, the same as the fee for a kennel licence or a companion animal retail store licence; a pound, shelter or rescue registered as a charity pays no kennel licence fee (Animal Care Regulation, s. 9). A licence is valid for one year from the day it is issued, and the renewal application, with the $100 fee and a current inventory of the number and breeds of animals, must be submitted no later than 60 days before the licence expires (Regulation, s. 11). The director may also require a bond or other security (Act, s. 28(3)). In Winnipeg, the City's fee listing (effective January 1, 2026) sets the dog breeding permit at $262, with an application and fee required for each female; the permit is valid for the life of the dog. An intact dog licence costs $138 a year (sterilized: $41.50), and an excess animal permit costs $272 for the initial application plus a $109 annual inspection fee.

The Animal Care Act is enforced by animal protection officers appointed by the minister, and every police officer is also an animal protection officer (ss. 1(1), 7). At any reasonable time, an officer may enter and inspect any premises operated in the course of an activity that is or must be licensed under the Act, examine any animal whether or not it appears to be in distress, take samples, and inspect and copy licences and records (s. 8(1)); this power extends to licensed activity carried on inside a dwelling (s. 8(7)). A justice can issue a warrant if a reasonable attempt at inspection fails or would be refused (s. 8(2)), and the owner or person in charge must assist the officer, provide any licence, record or information reasonably required, and produce any animal for examination (s. 8(3)). Officers may care for or seize an animal in distress (s. 9), the director may order an owner to take action such as a veterinary examination at the owner's expense (s. 10.1), and after animals are seized or surrendered a justice can, on the director's application, limit the number or type of animals an owner may keep for up to three years (s. 10.2). Before renewing a licence, the director may require the premises to be inspected (Regulation, s. 11(4)), and the director can order a licence holder to modify or upgrade premises or operations that do not comply (Regulation, s. 17). Welfare concerns can be reported to the provincial Animal Care Line (204-945-8000; 1-888-945-8001); within Winnipeg, the province directs concerns about animals kept by members of the public to the Winnipeg Humane Society (204-982-2028). Winnipeg inspects the breeding property when a city breeding permit is first applied for, and permit holders must allow inspections of the breeding property at any time afterward (By-law, s. 6.1(3), (6)).

The Animal Care Regulation does not list specific records that a licensed breeding premises must keep; the rule requiring two years of supplier records applies only to companion animal retail stores (Regulation, s. 19). Licence holders must, however, include a current inventory of the number and breeds of animals with each renewal application and file an annual report on a director-approved form when they apply to renew or on the anniversary of the licence, whichever is earlier (Regulation, s. 11(3), (6)). Owners and operators must give an animal protection officer any licence, record or information reasonably required during an inspection (Act, s. 8(1)(e), 8(3)(b)). The director may keep a register of licensed premises and make information from it public (Act, s. 29.1); the register lists the licence holder, the owner of the premises, the municipality, the type of licence and its expiry date (Regulation, s. 20). Winnipeg breeding permit applicants must give accurate information about the number and frequency of litters the dog has had (By-law, s. 6.1(5)).

Contravening The Animal Care Act or an order made under it, including operating breeding premises without a required licence, is an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine of up to $10,000, up to six months in jail, or both for a first offence, and up to $20,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both for a subsequent offence; a director or officer who authorized, permitted or acquiesced in a corporation's offence is also guilty (s. 34). On a conviction, the court may prohibit the person from owning or having possession or control of animals, or of a number or type of animals, for any period it considers appropriate, including a lifetime ban, and may direct that the person's other animals become property of the Crown (s. 35(1)). A prosecution must begin within two years of the alleged offence (s. 35.1). The director may also suspend or cancel a licence if the holder fails to comply with the Act or a licence condition, is convicted of an offence relating to the treatment of animals or the wrongful possession of an animal, or fails to comply with a director's order (Act, s. 32; Regulation, s. 18). The Animal Care Amendment Act (S.M. 2026, c. 16), which is not yet in force, will raise the maximum penalties to $20,000 and 12 months in jail for a first offence and $100,000 and two years for a subsequent offence (amended s. 34). In Winnipeg, a dog breeding permit can be revoked if the owner stops complying with the by-law's permit requirements (By-law, s. 6.1(6)).