Animal Welfare and Business Licences
You need a licence if you are going to sell animals as pets, provide animal boarding, hire out horses, breed dogs or keep or train animals for exhibition
This page gives information about:
- When an Animal Activity Licence is needed
- Application Process and Renewals
- Conditions that can be attached to Licences issued under the regulations
- Fees
- Selling Animals as Pets
- Animal Boarding
- Hiring out Horses
- Breeding Dogs
- Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition
- Star Ratings
- If you disagree with your Rating
Animal Activity Licences
A licence is required if you want to work with animals as a business.
The animal activity licence has new nationally set conditions. The following licensable activities will require a licence:
- animal boarding businesses (including dog home boarders, dog day carers and those who arrange home boarding of dogs)
- dog breeders
- pet shops (including residential premises)
- riding establishments
- people that keep or train animals for exhibitions.
Businesses operating with these activities will need to comply with the current conditions. They will be inspected and assessed before being given a star rating and a licence granted.
Application Process and Renewals
For new applicants and renewals, you must complete an application form and pay the fees.
To apply, please complete the relevant application form(s) within the section below. We aim to process all applications within 10 weeks.
New applicants need to apply for a licence at least 10 weeks before they plan to operate. If you are applying for a licence for the first time, you must meet the required minimum prescribed standards. If you cannot meet these standards than your application will be refused.
Existing licence holders need to apply to renew their licence(s) at least 10 weeks before their expiry date of their existing licence. This is to ensure continuity of cover.
Please email details to licensing@fenland.gov.uk.
We must have received the following before your application can be considered:
- A valid application form
- Fee
- Risk Assessment, Policies, Procedures
- Floor Plan
- Insurance
- Schedule of Animals (for Horse Riding and Dog Breeding)
Failure to submit the required information may result in your application being delayed or rejected until complete.
An inspection will be organised once we have received all of your information.
The application costs are listed below. These do not include additional vets charges (New Dog Breeding Licences).
Conditions that can be attached to Licences issued under the regulations
The regulations prescribe general licence conditions that will attach to all licences and specific licence conditions that will apply to individual licences depending on the licensable activities that licence authorises. The general licence conditions are contained in Schedule 2 of the regulations and the specific licence conditions are contained in Schedules 3 - 7 of the regulations.
Animal Welfare Regulations - General Conditions (PDF) [195KB]
Fees
Application Fee and Pre-Application Advice
| Application and Advice Fees | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | £80.00 |
| Pre-Application Advice (per hour) | £50.00 |
| Copy of Licence (including change of details not requiring an inspection) | £13.00 |
Inspection Fee or Re-Rating Inspection Fee
| Activity Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Hiring Out Horses | £171.00 |
| Animal Boarding Establishments | |
| Up to 10 Animals | £98.00 |
| 11-30 Animals | £122.00 |
| 31-60 Animals | £146.00 |
| 61-99 Animals | £171.00 |
| 100+ Animals | £195.00 |
| Dog Breeders | £123.00 |
Licence Fee by year
| Licence Fee Length | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 year | £228.00 |
| 2 year | £243.00 |
| 3 year | £259.00 |
Selling Animals as Pets
| Fee type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | £80.00 |
| Inspection Fee or Re-rating Inspection Fee | £123.00 |
| Licence Fee for 1, 2 or 3 years (Selling Animals as Pets only) | £228.00 |
Exhibiting Wild Animals
| Fee type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Exhibiting Animals Application | £74.00 |
| Exhibiting Animals Licence Fee - 3 years | £259.00 |
Selling Animals as Pets
You need a licence if you sell animals as pets in the course of a business.
This includes the import, distribution and sale of animals by a business. It applies to domestic premises and traditional pet shops where animals are available for purchase.
- Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets (Word doc) [210KB]
- Selling animals as pets licensing: statutory guidance - GOV.UK
- Specific Conditions - Selling Pets (PDF) [189KB]
- Pre-Inspection Guidance - Selling Animals as Pets - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [76KB]
Animal Boarding
You need a licence if you provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for other people's cats or dogs in the course of a business. This includes:
- Providing boarding for cats, for example in a cattery
- Providing boarding in kennels for dogs
- Providing home boarding for dogs
- Providing day care for dogs
Apply for an Animal Boarding Licence (Word doc) [185KB]
Specific Conditions that apply to boarding for cats and dogs
Commercial boarding (in kennels) of dogs
- Dog kennel boarding licensing: statutory guidance - GOV.UK
- Specific conditions: Commercial boarding of dogs (PDF) [219KB]
- Pre-inspection Guidance - Boarding Kennels - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [71KB]
Home boarding of dogs
- Home boarding for dogs licensing: statutory guidance - GOV.UK
- Specific conditions: Home boarding (PDF) [219KB]
- Pre-Inspection guidance - Home Boarding - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [71KB]
Day care for dogs
- Dog day care licensing: statutory guidance - GOV.UK
- Specific conditions: Dog day care (PDF) [219KB]
- Pre-inspection guidance - Day Care for Dogs - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [71KB]
Commercial boarding of cats
- Cat boarding licensing: statutory guidance - GOV.UK
- Specific conditions: Commercial boarding of cats (PDF) [219KB]
- Pre-Inspection Guidance - Cat Boarding - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [72KB]
Hiring out Horses
You need a licence if you hire out horses in the course of a business for either or both of the following purposes:
- Riding
- Instruction in riding
Horse includes an ass, mule or hinny.
The Local Authority is required to appoint a Vet to inspect the premises where the activity is being carried on every 12 months.
- Hiring Out Horses - Application Form (Word doc) [214KB]
- Hiring out Horses licence conditions (PDF) [184KB]
- Hiring out Horses: statutory guidance from gov.uk
- Pre-inspection Guidance - Hiring out Horses - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [71KB]
Breeding Dogs
You need a licence for either or both of the following:
- Breeding 3 or more litters of puppies in any 12 month period
- Breeding dogs and advertising a business of selling dogs
The Local Authority is required to appoint a Vet to inspect the premises on receipt of the initial application
- Apply for a licence to breed or sell dogs (Word doc) [188KB]
- Pre-Inspection Guidance - Dog Breeding - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [72KB]
- Specific Conditions - Breeding Dogs (PDF) [196KB]
Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition
You need a licence for keeping or training animals for exhibition in the course of a business for educational or entertainment purposes to any audience attending in person or by recording of visual images of them by any form of technology that enables the display of such images.
- Guidance notes for exhibition of animals
- Keeping or training animals for exhibition - application form (Word doc) [206KB]
- Specific conditions - Keeping or Training animals for exhibition (PDF) [184KB]
- Pre-inspection Guidance - keeping or training animals for exhibition - procedures and records to be kept (Word doc) [70KB]
Star Ratings
Each animal business falling within the scope of licensing is inspected by an officer. It will be given a rating from one to five stars.
The only exception to this is businesses that keep or train animals for exhibition. They do not receive a star rating and their licence is issued for three years.
Star ratings are calculated in a scoring matrix, shown in the table below. This matrix looks at the risk of business as well as the level of standards they meet.
Scoring Matrix
| Risk | Welfare Standards: Minor Failings | Welfare Standards: Minimum Standards | Welfare Standards: Higher Standards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Risk | 1 star 1 year licence Minimum 1 unannounced visit within 12 month period | 3 star 2 year licence Minimum 1 unannounced visit within 24 month period | 5 star 3 year licence Minimum 1 unannounced visit within 36 month period |
| Higher Risk | 1 star 1 year licence Minimum 1 unannounced visit within 12 month period | 2 star 1 year licence Minimum 1 unannounced visit within 12 month period | 4 star 2 year licence Minimum 1 unannounced visit within 24 month period |
Information relating to the table:
- Welfare Standards: Minor Failings - existing businesses that are failing to meet minimum standards
- Welfare Standards: Minimum Standards - as laid down in the schedules and guidance
- Welfare Standards: Higher Standards - as laid down in the guidance
- 5 star rating - an established business meeting all required standards plus the higher standard conditions
- 4 star rating - a new business or business with less than 1 year compliance history, meeting all required standards plus the higher standard conditions
- 3 star rating - an established business meeting all the required standard conditions
- 2 star rating - a new business or business with less than 1 year compliance history, meeting all the required standard conditions
- 1 star rating - an established business that has a few minor failings (no welfare compromises)
If you disagree with your rating
If you disagree with the rating given, you can make an appeal or request a re-rating.
Making an appeal
A business can informally dispute a star rating with the Inspecting Officer after the licence has been granted.
If informal discussions do not resolve the dispute, businesses can make a formal appeal in writing to us. This must be within 21 days of the licence being granted. Informal discussions cannot form part of this appeal.
We will consider this appeal and make a decision within 21 days of the appeal date.
If the appeal is successful, we will reissue the licence with the agreed rating.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, the existing licence will remain in force. The Licence Holder can apply for a judicial review of the decision or contact the Local Government Ombudsman.
Requesting a re-rating
You must make your request in writing and explain why you have asked for a re-rating.
You should explain the actions taken by the business to improve the level of compliance or welfare since the inspection and give examples as supporting evidence. It should refer to the actions the local authority said were needed to achieve a higher rating.
If you have met the criteria for re-rating, you will need to pay a re-inspection fee. A full re-inspection will be carried out. This may be pre-arranged or unannounced, if appropriate. If the rating of the business changes after this, a new licence will be issued. If it doesn't the existing licence will stay in force.
If we refuse to do a re-rating inspection, the existing licence will stay in force. We will give the reasons why and explain what the business needs to do before a re-rating inspection can take place.
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