The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018
The new regulations came into force on 1 October 2018. These regulations supersede a number of the older animal licensing acts. The only exceptions, are for Zoo's for the keeping of animals under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act and the new Primate Licensing Regulations.
Animal boarding businesses (Inc home boarders and day care), dog breeders, pet shops, riding establishments and the keeping of, or training of animals for exhibition are now covered under a single type of licence. It is known as an 'animal activity licence', with new nationally-set licence conditions for businesses providing any of these animal-related services.
Application Process
Anyone who wishes to run an 'Animal Activity' business must be compliant with the conditions. All of the standard conditions must be met prior to a licence being granted.
The conditions are set within the regulations and cannot be changed or ignored.
For clarification: If you are offering Day Care from your residential address then this falls into the category of Home Boarding and this is the guidance you should refer to.
The application comes in three parts. A universal first section with the applicant details, the second section is specific to the particular activity, so please choose the correct activity, and a universal third section for the declaration.
It is important to note all three parts of the application must be fully completed and submitted with the application fee.
You must include all required additional documentation listed in part 2 of section 3.
Applications will be returned or denied if anything is missing.
The fee structure for animal activities comes in two parts. An application fee which is submitted at the time of application and a grant of a licence fee which you will be advised of after your inspection as the fee is dependent on the star rating and length of licence. Your licence is only granted after both fees have been paid.
If your licence requires a veterinary inspection you will be invoiced after your inspection.
Please double-check your applications before submitting them. Incomplete applications will be refused and will need to be resubmitted with a further application fee.
Additional Information for applicants
If you are planning on starting up a business from home you must do your due diligence. For example, If you rent your premises it is your responsibility to ensure you have permission from your landlord/housing associations to run this business. You also need to consider possible planning implications. Operating a business from home may require a change of use requiring planning permission. Further information regarding planning permissions can be found on our website. Please note it is not your animal licensing officers responsibility to do these checks for you.
It can be daunting starting up a new business. There are a number of paperwork elements which must be in place to successfully be granted a licence. Here you will find some example templates and guidance notes to assist you. This is not an exhaustive list - you must read the relevant guidance for your business to ensure you are able to meet all the relevant standards.
If you wish to make a complaint about a licensed premises or report an unlicensed activity please contact the Animal Licensing Inspectors via email providing as much information as you can for us to investigate.
Licence Holders and the Star Rating Scheme
All businesses which run a licensable animal activity are inspected by an Animal Licensing Inspector and are granted a licence with a star rating of between 1 and 5.
It is important to note that no business will be licensed if an inspector has any welfare concerns.
We hold a register of all businesses which hold an Animal Activity licence within Hertsmere - always ensure you see a businesses licence before using them.
If you have any concerns about a business or wish to discuss the reasons behind a businesses star rating your can contact the Animal Licensing Inspectors on : 0208 207 2277 or via email.
