Renewing a licence
If you already have an animal licence under other legislation, your licence will be valid until the day it expires. If you are an existing business, please submit your renewal application within 10 weeks of the expiry of your licence. If you do not submit your application early, it may be treated as a new application which may affect your star rating.
Making an application
You can apply for an animal welfare licence or renew your existing licence by downloading and completing the relevant application form type below:
- boarding for cats and dogs (including home boarding and dog day care)
- breeding of dogs
- hiring out of horses
- selling animals as pets
- keeping or training animals for exhibition
and making payment of the fee. You can pay the correct fee by sending a cheque with your application, via our payment portal or by making a bank transfer (if paying via our payment portal or by bank transfer please state this on your application). If you require bank details please contact us.
When we receive an application along with the fee an inspector will arrange an inspection. The inspector may also bring a vet to check on the health and welfare of the animals and the cost of the vet will be passed on to you.
If the inspector is satisfied that the licensing conditions have been met, a licence will be issued for one, two or three years (depending on the circumstances).
If you have not heard from us after 6 weeks, please contact us as it is illegal to operate without a licence. It is also an offence not to assist an inspector in the taking of samples from animals; to obstruct an inspector in the performance of their duties or to breach the licensing conditions.
Failed application or licence holder redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
An operator who is aggrieved by a decision by the Council to: -
- refuse to grant or renew a licence; or
- revoke or vary a licence
may appeal within 28 days of the day after the date of the decision to a first-tier tribunal.
Consumer Complaint
If you are concerned about animal welfare or think that they are in breach of their licensing conditions, please contact us.
If you have other concerns relating to an animal welfare activity (e.g. noise, dust and drainage), information, including how to make a complaint, is available on our website.