Animal welfare licences

On 1 October 2018, the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into force. The regulations provide a new single licensing regime for the following animal licensing activities:

• boarding cats
• boarding dogs
• providing home boarding for dogs (including day care)
• hiring out horses
• breeding dogs
• keeping or training animals for exhibition

View animal welfare fees (google doc).

The new licensing regime requires that all applicants meet the same, up to date, minimum welfare standards for animals across the country. Your business will have to meet these minimum standards in order to hold and retain a licence.

The new regulations do not have any impact on licensing for people who keep dangerous wild animals or operate zoos. Licences for these activities will continue to be issued under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.

How do I apply?

To apply for a licence you need to complete a declaration and statutory introduction as well as the relevant application form(s):

• declaration
• statutory introduction

Application forms

• keeping or training animals for exhibition
• hiring out horses
• breeding and sale of dogs
• boarding animals