I WAS very shocked to hear the Forest of Dean District Council has licensed a breeding establishment – more commonly known as a puppy farm – for 51 breeding bitches. This does not include stud dogs.

In my view the country is awash with unwanted dogs. In 2011, 127,000 dogs went through council pounds in the UK, and a high percentage of those were destroyed due to insufficient homes being available.

Every day in the UK a dog is killed every hour in council-run pounds. We, the taxpayers, are paying local government to kill healthy dogs, animals who just need a home. Meanwhile, local councils are issuing more and more licences to puppy farmers to breed more and more dogs. It's lunacy.

I find it astounding that in this day and age the council has licensed premises for breeding. However, I am now aware that many councillors did not even know.

My understanding is that in 2011 there were consent for 23 breeding bitches. The number has increased to 51 without need to notify councillors or the public.

It means no-one has the right to object to the large numbers of bitches being kept, even if they wanted to.

– Concerned animal lover.