Animal licensing

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) came into force on 1 October 2018

Subject to certain criteria, the regulations require a licence for licensable activities:

• Selling animals as pets
• Providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs, i.e. dog daycare, home boarding of dogs, kennelling dogs, and boarding of cats.
• Hiring out horses
• Breeding dogs
• Keeping or training animals for exhibition

Please visit the GOV.UK site for further details here:

• The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations (England) 2018

Schedules 2 to 7 of the Regulations outline the conditions that apply to the various licensable activities, which operators must meet and adhere to.

DEFRA Guidance 

DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs) has also produced statutory guidance relating to these activities.  

The statutory guidance expands on the condition requirements contained in the regulations, providing in more detail what businesses and operators must do in order to meet the requirements.  

Prior to applying for a licence, you should ensure that you have read and met the requirements.

• DEFRA statutory guidance

Fees

• Animal licensing fees

Payment

• Online payment

Application forms

Hiring out horses

• Hiring out horses form

Selling animals as pets

• Selling animals as pets form

Providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs

• Animal boarding form

Breeding dogs

• Breeding and the sale of dogs form

Keeping or training animals for exhibition

• Performing animals form 

Completed application forms

Applications and supporting documents should be submitted to:

• animal.health@oldham.gov.uk

Animal Welfare Licensing Policy

• Animal Welfare Licensing policy

Dangerous wild animals and Zoos

• Dangerous wild animals
• Zoos