Animal Welfare Regulations

The Government has recently published the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (opens new window). The regulations came into effect on 1st October 2018 and introduced a new licensing system to replace the licensing and registration regimes that had been previously in place. 

Guidance from DEFRA

The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published procedural guidance for local authorities in relation to these regulations, along with guidance notes on the conditions that will apply to licences issued to authorise the different licensable activities. The procedural guidance and other guidance notes can be accessed on the Gov.uk website (opens new window).

If you wish to apply for a licence, you will need to complete the appropriate application form from the list below.  The application forms also request that you submit written procedures at the same time.  Please read the form and guidance documents for additional information. 

Once we have received a full application, we will send you a separate link to enable you to make the payment for your licence - see the table below to see how much your licence will cost. 

We will then contact you to arrange to carry out an inspection of your home/premises and how you look after the animals in your care. To pass this assessment, you must meet the conditions listed in the appropriate guidance documents. To pass this assessment, you must meet the conditions listed in the appropriate guidance in the above link.

The whole process, from receiving your full application and fee, will take no more than 10 weeks. 

Completed application forms, written procedures and queries can be sent to trading standards via email.

Application forms 

Breeding of dogs (Word doc) [105KB] (opens new window)
Hiring out of horses (Word doc) [68KB] (opens new window)
Home boarding  (Word doc) [66KB] (opens new window)
Keeping or training animals for exhibition (Word doc) [67KB] (opens new window)
Selling animals as pets (Word doc) [68KB] (opens new window)
Dog day care (Word doc) [102KB] (opens new window)
Boarding kennel (cats/dogs) (Word doc) [71KB] (opens new window)

Fees

Any additional work for variations of the above will be charged at the hourly rate of £36.

* Please note that these fees do not include any costs associated with inspections by a veterinarian. Veterinarian fees will be payable for the first inspection for a dog breeding licence and annual riding establishment inspections. The Local Authority reserves the right to request the attendance of a veterinarian, the cost of which will be paid by the applicant.