Animal activity licences

The application or renewal fee covers:  

• the admin costs of the request for an inspection 
• the cost of the animal welfare officer inspecting the property, and giving it a star rating 

The maintenance fee covers any unannounced visits to check properties.    

A more detailed breakdown of fees for different animal activities is given below: 

Breeding of animals  

• the first inspection for dog breeders must be made by a veterinarian (vet), along with our animal welfare officer. There is an additional cost for a vet inspection, which must be paid separately before the inspection takes place 
• any change (variation) to a licence would add a £36 fee and possible re-inspection from a vet (a separate fee will need to be paid to the vet) 

Boarding of Animals Kennels and Catteries                                         

Any change to a licence will add an £36 fee, and possibly a re-inspection from a vet (a separate fee will need to be paid to the vet). 

Home boarding of animals

Hiring of Horses

• the first inspection for a horse riding premise must be made by a vet, along with our animal welfare officer. There is an additional cost for a vet inspection, which must be paid separately before the inspection takes place 
• for this licence you must continue to have annual vet and council officer inspections, organised by us. Fees for the vet will be paid separately                                  

Any change to a licence will add a £36 fee, and possibly a re-inspection from a vet (a separate fee will need to be paid to the vet).

Selling animals as pets

Any change to a licence would need a re-inspection, which would cost £173.   

Exhibiting animals

Any change to a licence would need a re-inspection, which would cost £104. 

Dangerous wild animals

An extra fee for a vet inspection would be needed (a separate fee will need to be paid to the vet). 

Any change to a licence will add a £36 fee and possible re-inspection from a vet (if this needed, a separate fee will need to be paid to the vet). 

All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will want to see that you have the following: 

• specialist knowledge for the animals you’re caring for and a clear understanding of its needs and welfare. This would include the animals' mental and physical health, feeding and knowledge of how to improve its’ environmental. You should show that you have researched and followed expert guidance in order to carry out your role for the animals 
• full and detailed records that have all the information needed for the specific activities the animals will be used for 
• understanding of risks involved in caring for the animal, including a very detailed risk assessment, written policies, rules and procedures that are reviewed regularly. These documents should be available for the inspector to see 
• training procedures in place to make sure staff know what is expected of them, and clear evidence of good supervision of staff 

The premises itself will also be assessed so we can be sure the licence holder can meet the laws relating to the physical environment in which the animals will be kept. 

When calculating the star rating of a premises officers look at both: 

• the risk rating (based on compliance, complaint history, and management processes) of the premises 
• animal welfare standards at the premises (based on facilities, staffing, training) 

These 2 factors result in a star rating ranging from 1 to 5 stars. Any premises which is unable to provide 3 years history of compliance is automatically considered high risk and is therefore unable to achieve the higher star ratings. 

The table shows how the star rating is worked out.