You will need a licence for the following activities:
- 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
If they are undertaken in the course of a business, this includes whether you:
- make any sale or carry on the activity with a view to making a profit; or
- earn any commission or fee from the activity
These activities are governed by The Animal Welfare Regulations 2018.
Under the legislation, there are general conditions for every type of licence covering:
- licence display
- records
- use, number and type of animal
- staffing
- suitable environment and diet
- monitoring behaviour and training of animals
- animal handling and interactions
- protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease
- emergencies
Under certain circumstances, you will not be able to apply for a licence. This is generally if you have had a licence revoked or been disqualified.
For more information on individual licences and how to apply, see:
- Cat boarding
- Commercial dog boarding kennel
- Dog breeding
- Commercial day care for dogs
- Home boarding of dogs
- Selling animals as pets
- Keeping and training animals for exhibition
To view a list of businesses that have a licence please see our Animal welfare licence holders page.