Animal rescue groups will have to pay nearly £200 for a licence to operate in East Lothian from next week.
The local authority has agreed to charge animal welfare groups and rehoming organisations £180 to register for a licence from September 1 with a renewal fee of £191.
It will mean a massive 50 percent hike in the renewal fees already imposed on dog and cat breeders in December last year when councillors approved a £126 annual charge.
The new licences will also extend to rabbit breeders in the county.
East Lothian Council said the new charges will bring the county into line with Animal Welfare legislation which has been extended to cover rescue groups.
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It replaces the Breeding of Dogs Act and Pet Shop licensing with those already requiring a licence facing the new charges as well.
In December last year the council’s cabinet agreed to introduce the £126 fee to breeders of young cats and dogs.
The increase in the renewal fee which is now being expanded to cover additional groups is based, according to council officials, on “a methodology and officer hourly charge rates”.
In a report to councillors, officials said the fees were based o the time it took to process the applications.
The council said it has agreed to make groups which have registered as charities exempt from the fees.
A spokesperson said: “The scope of the national legislation surrounding animal licenses has been extended to include additional categories of breeders as well as rehoming and welfare organisations.
“As the licensing authority for East Lothian we are required to implement this new regime within the county.
“As the policy makes clear, we have elected to exempt registered charities from charges and we would encourage any organisation that falls into this category to ensure they benefit from the exemption.”
The new fees were not advertised or consulted on publicly ahead of being introduced because the council said it was not required as it was part of national policy.
Information on the new charges and requirements will be made available on the council’s website.
