Changes to animal licensing laws have been released to provide a single licence for a number of existing regimes. The licence includes animal boarding such as in your home, day care, and in kennels, breeding dogs, selling animals as pets, hiring out horses for riding, and performing animals.
What does the new licence cover?
The new licence covers the following activities. You will be able to find guidance notes associated with each one.
If you are considering or are already boarding cats or dogs, it is essential for you to possess the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 licence. The licence includes providing day care for dogs, boarding cats and dogs in your own home, or in kennels.
Please find guidance information of the minimum standards you are expected to meet in order to be eligible for the licence.
Visit our page dedicated to animal boarding to find details of your local establishments.
Association of Dog Boarders. The ADB is a trade association specifically for the needs of dog home boarders, day carers and commercial day centres.
Under the new legislation there have been changes to the breeding of dogs. The new criteria includes the following:
Anyone breeding three or more litters, and selling at least one puppy in a 12 month period will require a licence.
A breeder can breed as many puppies as they without a licence 'if the person carrying out the activity (breeding) provides documentary evidence that none of them have been sold (whether as puppies or as adult dogs)'.
If a breeder has one or two litters per 12 months and are selling the puppies, a licence may be required if you are deemed to be advertising as a business.
A new star rating has also been introduced to encourage high performing breeding establishments, and to help the public identify good breeders.
To be eligible for a licence, it is a requirement that meet the minimum standards set out in the guidance notes.
A licence is required to sell animals as pets as part of a business or keeping animals with the view to sell or resell at a later date. This includes:
Pet shops.
Registered businesses.
Business of individuals operating from their homes for commercial premises.
Importing animals for distribution and sale.
You must meet the minimum requirements set out in the guidance notes in order to be eligible for a licence.
A licence is needed under the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 if, for business purposes, you intend to:
Hire out horses for riding.
Hire out horses for riding lessons.
This does not include individuals who lend a horse for a small fee where there is no profit made, or who intend to make no profit.
You must meet a minimum standard conditions in order to be eligible for a licence. See guidance notes.
If you are a business and intend to keep animals for exhibition, you will need a licence for the following activities:
Keeping animals for entertainment or educational purposes, including mobile animal exhibits that may visit schools, weddings, private parties, fairs and other events where an audience is present.
Pony parties where the ponies are not ridden.
Keeping animals for exhibition for electronic media, such as being used in films or TV.
Businesses that train animals either for an audience or electronic media.
Exhibiting domestic animals in a circus.
If a business is based outside of England and imports an animal for exhibition, then they must apply for a licence to the first authority in which they will be performing or where the animals will be kept for the duration of their stay.
If you are exhibiting an animal you must ensure you hold a valid licence and keep to the minimum standards set out in the guidance notes.
We will endeavour to process your application within 10 weeks of receiving it. However, the process may take longer if there is insufficient information or if it proves difficult to make arrangements for the inspection.
All current licences will continue to be subject to the same restrictions until their expiry date, or until 31st December, whichever is sooner. However the current animal exhibition registrations will continue to be valid until 1st April 2019, and riding establishments which have unique expiry dates.
Licences can be issued for a period of one, 2 or 3 years dependent on your star rating and compliance. For example, if an existing operator wants to renew their licence, the length of their licence will be determined by their risk rating and standard. If a new applicant is successful, they will automatically be considered as high risk due to lack of history.
Scoring Matrix
Minor Failings (existing business that are failing to meet minimum standards)
Minimum Standards (as laid down in the schedules and guidance)
Higher Standards (as laid down in the guidance)
Low Risk
1 Star
1yr licence Min 1 unannounced visit within 12 month period
3 Star
2yr licence Min 1 unannounced visit within 24 month period
5 Star
3yr licence Min 1 unannounced visit within 36 month period
Higher Risk
1 Star
1yr licence Min 1 unannounced visit within 12 month period
2 Star
1yr licence Min 1 unannounced visit within 12 month period
4 Star
2yr licence Min 1 unannounced visit within 24
Please fill in the application form and send it back to us.
We will notify you 3 months prior to your expiry that you need to renew. You must then apply at least 10 weeks prior to your current licence expiry if you wish to continue to operate without a break.
Please note, you will also receive an inspection in order to grant you licence and rating.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your your application, star rating, or have been suspended from your licence you can appeal to a First-tier Tribunal within 28 days of the decision who shall either overturn or agree the local authority's outcome.
Animal Welfare Concerns
We will investigate complaints of poor animal welfare conditions in a commercial business or if you suspect someone is operating a business without a licence within the Dudley Borough. If you have a general concern about the welfare of an animal, please contact us via theAnimal Welfare Advice and Complaintsform.
Alternatively you can report the matter directly to theRSPCA.