Licence for animal boarding or dog day care
You need a licence if you provide as part of your business:
- accommodation for other people's cats and dogs, where the provision of that accommodation is partly or solely the activity of the business
- arranging accommodation for other people's cats and dogs (there are separate requirements for arrangers and hosts)
- overnight accommodation for cats in purpose built cattery units
- home boarding of cats, where the cats are kept in purpose built cattery units and not in the domestic home. Home boarding of cats within a domestic setting is not permitted
- overnight accommodation for dogs in a home environment. This must be inside a domestic home which is not the usual home where the animals are kept, and not in external kennel accommodation (where external kennel accommodation is used, this would fall under the scope of providing boarding in kennels for dogs)
- daytime accommodation for dogs away from the dog's normal place of residence and do not keep them overnight
Activities that don't need a licence:
- Where accommodation is provided for other people's cats and dogs, but where the provision of that accommodation is not the purpose of that business, for example, veterinary practices where the accommodation provided is part of the treatment of the animal
- If you look after the cat in its usual home (such as cat sitters)
- If you look after the dog in its usual home (such as dog sitters and dog walkers)
Licence conditions
You must be able to meet the general and specific conditions before we will issue you with a licence:
- General conditions
- Providing day care for dogs
- Home boarding for dogs
- Providing boarding for cats
- Kennels for dogs
Defra guidance
Applicants should read the applicable activity guidance documents and the local authority procedural guidance. Officers refer to these documents during the application process. The guidance sets out the higher standards, the risk rating and how they are applied. Compliance to the lowest risk rating (highest star rating) ensures a longer licence (up to three years) and better value for money. Note: The maximum star rating for a new licence is two years (three stars) and exhibition licenses are not star rated and are issued for three years.
Documentation required
If your documentation is correct, you will receive a lower risk rating and you are more likely to be compliant with the licence conditions. All the appropriate documentation is requested as attachments to the application form. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the required documentation in the Defra guidance.
Officers use checklists to feedback on documentation requirements. Absence of any required documentation in most cases will result in a lower risk rating, not the refusal of a licence.
See the overview page for the checklists available.