The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 apply to:
- animal boarding
- selling animals as pets
- hiring out horses
- breeding dogs
- keeping or training animals for exhibition
These regulations mean that all licence holders will need to follow an application process and comply with national regulations. As part of this, you will also receive a rating based on your standard, which you will need to display on your premises. The rating will be between one and five, with five being the best you can receive.
You can find guidance on the regulations from the Canine & Feline Sector Group.
The regulations don't apply to dangerous wild animal or zoo licences.
You don't need a licence to keep chickens or pigs. You can find out what animals you need a licence for on GOV.UK.
Report unlicensed animal premises
If you think a premises is operating without the relevant animal licence, you can report it to us.
