Licensing of activities involving animals
From 1 October 2018, the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 came into force controlling various businesses that involve animals.
If you currently hold a licence to board animals (whether at home or in a kennel/cattery), sell animals, hire horses, or breed dogs, that licence will run until the expiry date as stated on the licence but when you come to renew it will be under the new regulations.
If you do not currently hold a licence but are carrying out or are intending to carry out one or more of the following activities, you will need to apply for a licence:
- selling animals as pets
- providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs , including:
- providing boarding for cats
- providing boarding in kennels for dogs
- providing home boarding for dogs
- providing day care for dogs
- hiring out horses (riding establishments)
- breeding dogs and
- keeping or training animals for exhibition.
The conditions and guidance for these activities is set nationally by the regulations rather than by the council.
We advise that you read the procedural guidance documents in the link here and any specific documents relevant to your activities in the documents below.
To apply
Please see the guidance and application forms in Associated documents below. You must complete the Part 1 form (application for Animal Activity Licence) and the relevant part 2 form for the type of activity you wish to carry out together with providing a document detailing pre-inspection procedures and records to be kept for the activity. Completed application forms and pre-inspection information must be supplied with the appropriate fee to the relevant licensing authority:
Bracknell Forest Council: Applications Team, Bracknell Forest Council, Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell RG12 1JD or scanned and emailed to: License.All@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
West Berkshire Council: Licensing, Council Offices, Market St, Newbury, RG14 5LD or scanned and emailed to Licensing@westberks.gov.uk
Payment
West Berkshire applications see details here on how to make payment.
For a Bracknell Forest application, if you are paying by cheque please make your cheque payable to West Berkshire Council and post it to Applications Team, Public Protection Partnership, Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, RG12 1JD or see link here for online payment method.
