Animal licensing - before you apply
Before applying for an animal licence, read the guidance notes below which apply to your business.
- boarding cats
- boarding dogs in kennels
- dog day care
- home boarding dogs
- dog breeding
- exhibition and training of animals
- selling animals as pets
- hiring out horses
Before sending in your application, make sure you have the following documents which must also be supplied:
- a plan of the premises - this doesn’t need to be to scale but it should include all dimensions, entrance and exits, fire exits, windows, WC, food preparation areas and any area dedicated to animals
- insurance policy - appropriate insurance must be in place
- operating procedures - these should include emergency evacuation plans, daily cleaning/feeding/exercising schedules. You must provide details about waste removal and confirmation of any waste contracts
- risk assessments, infectious control procedures, safeguarding procedures. These should include:
- fire risks assessments
- animal isolation processes
- dealing with unwell or infectious animals
- what measures are in place to ensure all staff/family and animals remain safe at all times
- qualifications - details of any qualifications that are held by the applicant and any staff members should be included and copies of the qualifications supplied
- training records - records of staff training must be supplied. Details of future refresher training should also be included and if there is the provision for staff to undergo future recognised, relevant qualifications this can be detailed as well.
See Public register for animal activities licences for details of current licences.