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Animal activity licence

You must have an animal activity licence if you:

  • provide or arrange boarding facilities for cats or dogs
  • breed dogs
  • sell animals as pets
  • hire out horses
  • keep or train animals for exhibition

The current Animal Welfare Regulations began on 1 October 2018.

Applications

Before you apply for a licence you should read the guidance for local authorites on GOV.UK.

PDF Icon Animal activities application form - pdf - 249 Kb

Return your completed application form, supporting documents and fee to licensing@cheltenham.gov.uk.

Or by post to:

Animal Licensing
Cheltenham Borough Council
Municipal Offices
Cheltenham
GL50 9SA

Approval of your licence

We aim to evaluate your application within 10 weeks, but it may take longer.

Star rating scheme

We use a risk-based system to decide your star rating and the length of the licence. This does not include “Keeping or training animals for exhibition” where all licences are valid for 3 years.

For further information on the star rating scheme, please see the guidance for local authorites on GOV.UK.

Documentation

If your documentation is correct, you will receive a lower risk rating and you are more likely to be compliant with the licence conditions. We request that you attach all the appropriate documentation to the application form. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the required documentation in the Defra guidance.   

Checklists

Our 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.

The following checklists are currently available:

Not all checklists are available. Checklists will be updated, if required, at the time of an application. 

Fees

You must pay for each licensable activity that your licence will cover.

The animal activities licence fee is split into two separate parts, both of which are non-refundable: 

  1. The application fee which is paid when you submit an application. This fee covers the costs associated with determining the application to the point that it is ready to issue
  2. The issue fee which is paid after your inspection. This fee covers the cost of issuing the licence and the follow up inspection

The amount you pay will depend on if you are applying for one animal activity or to be a franchise or arranger. In some circumstances, you may need to pay additional fees.

Animal activity licence fees
Single activity First stage fee – Application Second stage fee – Issue Total fee
Boarding of cats and dogs (home boarding, kennels, cattery, and dog day care) £525 £75

£600
Selling animals as pets £624 £75 £699
Dog breeding £590 £75 £665
Hiring of horses £603 £75 £678
Exhibiting animals £485 £115 £602
Primate keeper licence £329 £136 £465

 

Fees apply for the 2025/26 financial year and are subject to change each year. Vet fees and supplementary fees may need to be included

Additional activity fees

If you are applying for more than one activity, you must pay the full amount for the most expensive activity, then the additional amount for each extra activity.

Vet inspection fees

Depending on which activities you are applying for, we may need to appoint a vet to inspect your premises. Vet inspections are not covered by the application fees, so we’ll invoice you for this service. 

Guidance

DEFRA Guidance

The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs has produced procedural guidance for local authorities. It can also be used by those who currently have a licence or wish to apply for one.

The page includes guidance on:

  • providing boarding for cats and dogs
  • dog breeding
  • selling animals as pets
  • hiring out horses
  • keeping or training animals for exhibition

Disqualifications

Certain people are not allowed to apply for an animal activities licence as stated in schedule 8 of the legislation:

  • A person who has at any time held a licence which was revoked under:
    • regulation 15 of these Regulations
    • regulation 17 of the Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2014
    • regulation 12 of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010
    • regulation 13 of the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012
  • A person who is disqualified under:
    • section 34 of the Act
    • section 40(1) and (2) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006
    • section 4(1) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
    • section 33 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
    • article 33A of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983
    • section 6(2) of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 from keeping a dangerous wild animal
    • section 3(3) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 from keeping a breeding establishment for dogs
    • section 4(3) of the Riding Establishments Act 1964 from keeping a riding establishment
    • section 3(3) of the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 from keeping a boarding establishment for animals
    • section 5(3) of the Pet Animals Act 1951from keeping a pet shop
    • section 1(1) of the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954 from having custody of an animal
    • section 4(2) of the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925
    • section 3 of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 from the ownership of an animal

Animal boarding or dog daycare

You need an animal activity 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

 

Arranging accommodation for other people's cats and dogs

You need an animal activity licence if you are a franchise operator or arrange for the provision of accommodation for other people's cats and dogs. 

For example, businesses which connect pet owners with people willing to look after their animals for no fee (just minor expenses). The accommodation provided in these circumstances must meet the licence conditions, and it is the responsibility of the business to ensure that this is the case. As the licensing authority, we need to be satisfied that the conditions are met in all of the accommodation provided. The business must provide to us (and keep updated), a list of their associated premises. This applies to arranging for dog boarding in kennels, cat boarding, home boarding or dog day care.

How does the licence work? 

Those who accommodate the dogs will be classed as 'hosts' for the arranger and may operate under the arranger's licence in certain circumstances. Each host will need a copy of the arranger's licence which must be displayed at each host premises. 

When hosts would be included

  • If they have an income from their boarding of less than £1000 (as demonstrated by the arranger)
  • Where the council decides the 'host' is not operating as a business

When hosts would not be included

  • Where hosts are deemed as 'businesses' and operate under a franchise model. Each establishment will then receive its own licence and star rating

How will the star rating work? 

The rating takes into consideration the arranger's head office, the arranger and all the hosts operating under the licence.  The lowest star rating identified will be the star rating of all operators under the licence in our area. This means it will be possible for different Gloucestershire areas to have different star ratings for the same franchise or arranger as they will have separate licences with each council.

Home boarders operating under an arranger but with their own licence will have their own star rating. This will not affect or be affected by the arranger's star rating.

Keeping or training animals for exhibition

All licences will be issued for three years. You need an animal activities licence if you provide as part of your business:

  • Keeping animals for exhibition, either for entertainment or educational purposes. This includes mobile animal exhibits that visit schools, weddings, private parties, fairs and other events where an audience is present
  • Pony parties where the ponies are not ridden (if ridden, you require a licence for hiring out horses)
  • Businesses which keep animals for exhibition via electronic media, for example, animals used in films or TV
  • Businesses which train animals for exhibition, either to an audience or via electronic media
  • Exhibiting domestic animals in a circus
  • Any business based outside of England that brings in an animal for exhibition. These businesses must apply to the first authority in which they will be performing or where the animals are to be kept for the duration of their stay

Activities that don't need a licence

  • Agents who organise for the exhibition of animals, but do not own them or train them themselves and so have limited or no contact with the animals. Agents who arrange for the supply of animals for an exhibit should ensure all keepers and trainers are licensed and comply with the regulations
  • Animal shows where animals are exhibited (such as Crufts, animal trade shows). If individual participants are in the business of exhibiting animals and receive a fee for doing so, they will need to have a licence, but the show itself does not require a licence as it is not responsible for the animals exhibited
  • Training or exhibiting animals for military or police purposes (for example training police dogs, demonstrations of police or military dogs at fairs)
  • Registered charities that exhibit animals as part of their charitable work, unless the charity is running this element of their operations as a commercial activity
  • Training or exhibiting animals for sporting purposes, for example, horse racing and greyhound racing.
  • Exhibiting wild animals in a licensed circus
  • Licensed zoos

Licence conditions

You must be able to meet the general and specific conditions before we will issue you with a licence.

Selling animals as pets

Selling pet animals as a business from a market or stall is prohibited under Section 2 of the Pet Animals Act 1951.

You need an animal activities licence if you provide as part of your business:

  • The import, distribution and sale of animals by a business
  • Businesses or individuals operating from domestic premises for commercial purposes (it should be noted that many may not be listed with Companies House)
  • Premises that are open to members of the public or to other businesses where animals are available for purchase

Activities that do not need a licence

  • If you are a dog breeder, you will need a dog breeding licence
  • If you breed animals as a hobby, for pleasure, exhibition for prize, or for education, study or scientific advancement and occasionally sell a small number of surplus offspring where no or very little profit is made
  • Organised events where people meet to sell surplus animals they have bred, or animals that are surplus to their requirements
  • Aquacultural production businesses that are authorised under regulation 5(1) of the Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009, and that are inspected by the Fish Health Inspectorate

Licence conditions

You must be able to meet the general and specific conditions before we will issue you with a licence.

Breeding dogs

You should only buy a dog from a licensed breeder. Buying from un-licensed breeders fuels the industry and the welfare of breeding dogs cannot be guaranteed. The RSPCA provides some helpful guidance to consider when buying a puppy. 

You will need an animal activity licence if as part of your business you:

  • Breed three or more litters of puppies per year (unless you can show that none of the puppies have been sold), or
  • Breed puppies and advertise a business of selling them

You won't need a dog breeding licence if:

  • you can provide documented evidence that none of the puppies were sold or that you have they kept them all yourself. Documented evidence needs to include records of the new owners of all of the puppies and why there was no money involved (including in kind) 
  • you're a registered charity that re-homes puppies that are born to rescue dogs, unless you make money from rehoming the puppies
  • you breed assistance dogs as defined in the Equality Act 2010 (for example Guide Dogs for the Blind)
  • you're keeping a dog under the Animal Health Act 1981
  • you're an organisation regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
  • you breed a small number of puppies (less than 3 litters per year), and sell them without making a profit. You'll need to provide documented evidence

Licence conditions

You must be able to meet the general and specific conditions and the dogs must pass a veterinary inspection before a licence is issued.

Hiring out horses

A "horse" is defined as any mare, gelding, pony, foal, colt, filly or stallion and also any ass, mule or jennet (including donkey).

You need an animal activity licence if you provide as part of your business:

  • Hiring out horses for riding or for riding lessons. This includes riding schools and those that hire out horses, trekking, loan horses, pony parties (but only where the ponies are ridden), hunter hirelings, polo or polocrosse instruction and pony hire, pony and donkey rides

Activities that do not need a licence

  • Businesses that run pony parties where none of the ponies are ever ridden - these should be licensed as animal exhibits
  • Activities that are carried out solely for military or police purposes (such as riding stables that are used exclusively for these purposes)
  • Riding stables that are used exclusively for instructing veterinary students at university for the purpose of their course
  • Individuals who occasionally lend a horse, even if a small fee is charged, where there is no profit made and no intent to make a profit

Licence conditions

You must be able to meet the general conditions and specific conditions and the horses must pass a veterinary inspection before a licence is issued. 

 

Related Pages

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