Animal welfare

Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets; provide boarding for cats or dogs, including home boarding and dog day care; breed dogs; hire out horses; or keep or train animals for exhibition.

How to apply

Please use our application form to apply for the following:

• selling animals as pets
• boarding cats and dogs, including dog day care
• breeding dogs
• hiring out horses
• performing animals

Before filling in the form, please read the guidance notes at the end of the form. 

Apply for an animal licence

Animal applications take at least 10 weeks to process. This is due to the rigorous inspection and assessment process involved. Please factor this into your business planning. You must be licensed to provide animal activities.

Pre-inspection checklists

Please refer to the pre-inspection checklist relevant to your new or renewal application for a full list of documents that you will need to submit with your application.

• boarding cats
• boarding dogs in kennels
• breeding dogs
• dog day care
• exhibition of animals
• hiring out horses
• home boarding dogs
• selling animals as pets

Guidance notes

General conditions and relevant specific conditions can be found in the guidance issued by Government below:

• boarding cats
• boarding dogs in kennels

• breeding dogs
• dog day care
• exhibition of animals
• hiring out horses
• home boarding dogs
• selling animals as pets

Fees and payment

The application fee must be paid when the application is submitted. 

The grant fee is payable only if the licence is to be granted. 

Current fees are shown in the animal licensing fees and charges document.

You can pay your licensing fees online using a debit or credit card. Please retain the payment reference and include it with your application. 

What happens next

We will review your application, supporting documents and payment. We may contact you for further information before arranging an inspection.

Once the application is complete, an officer will contact you to arrange a suitable inspection date. You must not carry on the licensable activity until the licence has been granted and the relevant grant fee has been paid.

Animal activities licensing

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 establish the licensing arrangements for specified animal activities carried on in England. 

Government changes have been made to improve the effectiveness of existing regulations and to simplify the application and inspection process for businesses as well as maintaining and improving existing animal welfare standards.

The animal based activities requiring a licence under this new legislation include:

• selling animals as pets (or with a view to their being later resold as pets) in the course of a business including keeping animals in the course of a business with a view to their being so sold or resold.
• providing or arranging for the provision of accommodation for other people’s cats or dogs in the course of a business on any premises where the provision of that accommodation is a purpose of the business.
• hiring out horses in the course of a business for either riding, instruction in riding, or both.
• breeding three or more litters of puppies in any 12-month period; or breeding dogs and advertising a business of selling dogs.
• keeping or training animals for exhibition in the course of a business for educational or entertainment purposes, either to any audience attending in person, or by the recording of visual images of them by any form of technology, or both.

This new Regulation replaces the requirement in England, to be registered under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 or to obtain a licence under the Pet Animals Act 1951; the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963; the Riding Establishments Act 1964 or the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973.

Please get in touch using our online form if you have any questions or require further information.