Animal Welfare Licensing

On 1 October 2018, new legislation came into force. This replaced the previous legislation for the following activities:

• Boarding of cats and dogs in catteries or kennels
• Breeding of dogs
• Home boarding/day care of dogs
• Pet shops
• Riding establishments

The 2018 Regulations also introduced the following updates:

• A single licence system: Each of the activities listed above requires a licence. However, an operator can apply for multiple activities on one single licence.
• A new “Star Rating” scheme: Premises will receive a rating from one to five stars. This is assessed according to the risk and welfare standards at the premises.
• Licence periods of up to three years: The length of the licence is linked to the star rating given to the premises.

Statutory guidance and responsibilities

Anyone planning to apply for a new licence should read the 2018 Regulations and the statutory guidance notes. Doing this will ensure you fully understand your legal duties and obligations. To assist the trade, all of these documents are available via the links in this section.

The following guidance notes will assist individuals and businesses with their responsibilities under the new Act:

• Guidance notes for boarding dogs in kennels
• Guidance notes for home boarding dogs
• Guidance notes for breeding dogs
• Guidance notes for dog day care
• Guidance notes for boarding cats
• Guidance notes for selling animals as pets
• Guidance notes for hiring out horses
• Guidance notes for exhibition of animals

Further online guidance is available to assist individuals and businesses in transitioning to the new law and requirements:

• The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018
• Procedural guidance for local authorities
• Canine and feline sector group guidance
• DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
• Pets4Homes guidance for pet sellers

Licence fee plus veterinary inspectors fee if necessary

Providing home boarding for dogs

Providing boarding in kennels for dogs

Providing boarding for cats

Selling of animals as pets

Dog breeding

Riding establishment hiring out of horses

Animal franchise licence

Performing animals keeping or training animals

Providing day care for dogs

If you plan to run a dog breeding or horse hiring business, you must also pay for a veterinarian to inspect your premises. The veterinarian will attend the inspection visit alongside a Licensing Officer.

Payment details

Please use the Thanet District Council (TDC) bank details below to make your payment:

• Bank: National Westminster Bank PLC
• Sort Code: 60 14 05
• Account Number: 67834000
• Payee: Thanet District Council

Before applying, please make sure you have read the 2018 Regulations and the specific guidance notes for your activities.

To apply for a new licence or renew an existing one, you must submit:

• Your completed application form
• All required paperwork
• The correct application fee

Download forms

• Download application form
• Download form for new horses

Important note on planning permission

Your Animal Welfare application may fail if your premises do not have the correct planning permission. It is in your best interest to check and confirm if you need planning permission before you submit your application.

Renewing an existing licence

To renew your licence, you must meet the following deadlines:

Three months before expiry: You should apply at least three months before your current licence runs out. This guarantees that your licence will continue while we process your renewal.

Ten weeks before expiry: You must submit a valid application no later than ten weeks before your current licence expires.

The renewal process

The steps to renew are almost exactly the same as applying for a new licence.

The only difference is for dog breeding businesses. If you are renewing a dog breeding licence, you may not need to pay for a veterinarian inspection again.

When it is time to renew, we will send you a renewal letter. This letter will give you full details and instructions on exactly what you need to do.

After we review your application and complete your inspection, we will assess your business’s risk level and award a star rating. To do this, we use a required scoring method created by DEFRA.

• Your star rating will depend on your risk level:
• Low-risk premises: Can achieve up to five stars.
• Higher-risk premises: Can achieve up to four stars.

Asking for a re-inspection

If you are not satisfied with the star rating you receive, you have the right to challenge it. You can make improvements to fix any issues we highlighted during the inspection. Once you have made these changes, you can ask us for a re-inspection.

Premises with lower star ratings

A lower star rating does not always mean a business should be avoided. We must consider other factors, such as how long the licence holder has been operating.

Please note the following about our ratings:

• New businesses: These are automatically assessed as slightly higher risk. This is simply because they do not yet have a history of good practice for us to review.
• Government rules: We must use this specific scoring method to comply with Government requirements.
• Not a recommendation: The star rating given to a business should not be viewed as a recommendation or endorsement by the council.

Step 1: Contact the Inspecting Officer

If you feel your star rating does not reflect your welfare standards and risk level at the time of the inspection, you should contact the inspecting officer first.

• Please do this soon after receiving your rating.
• We aim to respond to your request within seven days.
• Note: A different process applies if you have made improvements to your premises since the inspection.

Step 2: Making a formal appeal

If you are still not satisfied after speaking with the officer, you can formally appeal. You can withdraw your appeal later if you change your mind.

• You must make your appeal in writing within 21 days of your rating being issued.
• By post: Licensing, Thanet District Council, P.O. Box 9, Margate, Kent CT9 1XZ
• By email: licensing@thanet.gov.uk

Step 3: How we review your appeal

Your appeal will be reviewed by the head of the department or another senior officer. To ensure fairness, this person will not have been involved in your original inspection.

• We must consider your appeal and give you a decision within 21 days of receiving your written request.
• We will review the paperwork from your inspection, including your application form and the inspector’s notes.
• We will also look at your business’s past records, such as previous inspections and any investigated animal welfare complaints.

Step 4: Additional inspections and costs

In some cases, we may need to visit your premises again to make a decision.

• You must pay the costs for any extra inspections related to your appeal.
• However, if the extra inspection results in a higher star rating being awarded, you will not have to pay.

Step 5: Taking it further

If you disagree with the final outcome of the appeal, you have two further options:

• You can challenge our decision through a judicial review.
• You can contact the Local Government Ombudsman if you believe the council did not properly follow the regulations and legal guidance.

If an officer decides to refuse or suspend your licence, they must provide you with the details and the reasons why in writing.

Usually, a licence is refused because the officer believes one of the following:

• Cannot meet conditions: You are not capable of meeting the conditions of your licence.
• Animal welfare risks: Granting the licence might harm the welfare, health, or safety of the animals involved.
• Inadequate setup or management: Your accommodation, staffing, or management is not good enough to keep the animals well or run the business properly. (Please carefully read the guidance documents for your specific activity, as they explain exactly what requirements and conditions you must meet).
• Legal disqualification: You are disqualified from holding a licence under Schedule 8 of the Regulations.

How to appeal a refusal or suspension

If you do not agree with our decision to refuse or suspend your licence, you have the right to challenge it.

• You can appeal to a First-tier Tribunal.
• You must submit your appeal within 28 days of our decision.

If your business received a rating of 1 to 4 stars, you can ask for a re-inspection to get a new rating. You can do this if you have made improvements to your business since your last inspection.

Please note: A re-inspection means your star rating could go up, stay the same, or even go down.

How to apply for a re-inspection

There is no limit to how many re-inspections you can ask for, but you may have to pay a fee for each request. Once we receive your request (and payment, if required), we aim to carry out the visit within three months.

You must make your request in writing. You can do this by:

• Post: Licensing, Thanet District Council, P.O. Box 9, Margate, Kent CT9 1XZ
• Email: licensing@thanet.gov.uk

In your written request, you must clearly outline your case. This means you need to:

• Detail the exact actions you have taken to improve your legal compliance or animal welfare standards.
• Explain how these changes have improved your risk level.
• Provide supporting evidence, such as photographs or updated documents.

How we assess your request

• Council refusals: We can refuse to carry out a re-inspection if you do not provide enough evidence that your risk or welfare standards have improved. If we refuse your request, we will explain the priority actions you must take. We will also tell you exactly what evidence you need to provide before we will agree to a future visit.
• The re-inspection visit: We cannot give you a new rating based purely on documents or photographs; we will always visit your premises. During the visit, the officer will check the specific improvements you have made, as well as assess your ongoing daily standards.

If you wish to discuss anything further, please email licensing@thanet.gov.uk