Licence - Pet Shop

Business Licences and Street Trading

The keeping and running of a pet shop is controlled by the Pet Animals Act 1951.

To make an online request for information please click here.

How much does a licence cost?

How long is  a licence valid for?

Licence Summary

To run a business selling pet animals you need a licence from the local authority. This includes all commercial selling of pet animals, including pet shops and businesses selling animals over the internet. No person may keep a pet shop unless they have first obtained a licence from their Local Authority.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants for a pet shop licence must not be disqualified from keeping a pet shop.

A fee, determined by the Local Authority, will be payable on application.

Regulation Summary

A summary of the regulation relating to this licence

Application Evaluation Process

Local authorities must have regard to the following when considering an application for a pet shop licence:

• that animals will be kept in suitable accommodation, for example in regards to temperature, size, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness
• adequate food and drink will be provided to the animals and they will be visited at suitable intervals
• that any mammalian animals will not be sold too young
• that steps are taken to prevent disease spreading among the animals
• that adequate fire and emergency provisions are in place

Conditions can be attached to a licence to ensure that the above are complied with. Click here to see the Pet Shop Licence Conditions

Council Duties

Before being granted a licence the applicant must be able to demonstrate to the Council's Licensing Inspector:

• That they are suitably qualified to keep animals with regard to the type and number proposed to be kept.
• That the animals will be kept in accommodation that is suitable in respect of construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness.
• That animals will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding materials and (so far as is necessary) visited at suitable intervals.
• That mammals will not be sold at too early an age.
• That all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of infectious disease amongst the animals.
• That appropriate steps will be taken to protect the animals in the case of fire or other emergency, including the provision of suitable fire fighting equipment.
• That a register containing a description of any animal received on the premises, the animals age and sex, the date of acquisition and departure and the source from which the animals are received, and that the register will be available for inspection at all times by a Licensing Inspector or by a veterinary Surgeon or Veterinary Practitioner authorised by the Council.
• No animal will be sold to a child under the age of 12 years.

A licence may be refused or withheld on other grounds if those grounds are such that conditions are not suitable for the keeping of animals.

Each Licence is subject to standard conditions that are imposed on all pet shops licensed by the Council.

In addition to the standard conditions a licence may also contain special conditions that are only applicable to your premises.

Click here to see the Pet Shop Licence Conditions

Will Tacit Consent Apply?

Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period.

Apply online

Apply to run a pet shop

Application to change a pet shop licence

Application to renew a licence to keep a pet shop

Pet Shop Licence Conditions

Refund Policy

Please note that refunds of licence fees are not normally given. Only in exceptional circumstances, as deemed by the Licensing Manager, will a refund be considered. Any refunds given may be subject to an administration charge.

Failed Application Redress

Please contact the Licensing Section on 01785 619402 in the first instance.

Any person who is refused a licence can appeal to the Magistrates court. A court may give directions on the issue of a licence.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact the Licensing Section on 01785 619402 in the first instance.

Any licence holder who objects to a condition attached to a licence may appeal to the local Magistrates court. A court may give directions on the issue of a condition.

Consumer Complaint

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

Other Redress

E.g. about noise, pollution, etc. Also should one licence holder complain about another. Please contact the Licensing Section on 01785 619402.

Trade Associations

Pet Care Trust (PCT)

There is an application fee which must be paid at the time the application is made. The fee from April 2010 is £63.00.

Where a licence is granted that licence and any subsequent licence will expire on the 31st March of the year to which it relates and must be renewed before that date if the premises are to continue as a pet shop.

Offences and Penalties

The following offences and penalties apply to the pet shops.

• Any person found guilty of keeping a pet shop without a licence may be subject to a fine not exceeding £500 or to three months imprisonment or both.
• Any person found guilty of failing to comply with their licence conditions may be subject to a fine not exceeding £500 or to three months imprisonment or both.
• Any person found guilty of obstructing or delaying an Inspector, or authorised Veterinary Surgeon or Veterinary Practitioner in the exercising of their powers of entry may be fined up to a maximum of £500.

If found guilty under this Act, the defendant's licence may be cancelled and they may be disqualified from keeping a pet shop for such length of time as the Court thinks fit.

Further Information

Copies of the Pet Animals Act 1951 and other legislation mentioned in this leaflet can be purchased from Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

A copy of the Pet Animals Act 1951 can be inspected at the Council offices where you may also obtain a copy of the Council's standard licensing conditions, an application form and further help or advice.

FAQ

How much does a licence cost?

There is an application fee which must be paid at the time the application is made. The fee is £63.00. TOP

How long is a licence valid for?

Where a licence is granted that licence and any subsequent licence will expire on the 31st March of the year to which it relates and must be renewed before that date if the premises are to continue as a pet shop. TOP

Application Form & Conditions

Pet Shop Licence Conditions

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