Licences Dangerous wild animal licence
Pay for this application
If you are unable to pay for your application online, please contact the Licensing team using the contact details at the bottom of this page.
The keeping of certain species of wild animals is controlled by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (as superseded by the Animal Welfare Act 2006).
The animals for which a licence is required before they may be kept are listed in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification)(No2) Order 2007.
A licence may be issued as long as the applicant isn't disqualified, or has been convicted under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.
Our duties
Before granting a licence the licensing inspector must be satisfied that:
- it's not contrary to the public interest to do so on the grounds of safety, nuisance or other grounds
- the applicant is a suitable person to hold a licence to keep the animals listed on the application
- the animal(s) will be kept in accommodation that prevents its escape and is suitable in respect of
- construction, size, temperature, drainage and cleanliness
- the animal(s) will be supplied with adequate and suitable food drink and bedding material and be visited at suitable intervals
- appropriate steps will be taken to ensure the protection of the animal(s) in case of fire or other emergency
- all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
- the animal(s) accommodation is such that it can take adequate exercise
- where we issue a licence, it will be subject to such conditions as we see fit to impose, and in each
- case these conditions will specify that:
- only the person named on the licence shall be entitled to keep the animal
- the animal shall only be kept on the premises named on the licence
- the animal shall not be moved or may only be moved in accordance with conditions specified in the
- licence
- the licensee must hold a current insurance policy, approved by us, which insures against liability for
- damage caused by the animal
- only the species and number of animals listed on the licence may be kept
- the licensee shall make a copy of the licence and its contents available to any other person listed on
- the licence as being able to look after the animal
We may at any time revoke or amend any licence condition apart from those covered by the bullets under point 8, above.
Your rights of appeal
Any person aggrieved by a refusal to be granted a licence or by any conditions to which the licence is subject may appeal to the magistrates court, and the court may give such direction regarding the licence and its conditions as it thinks proper.
Offences and penalties
Anybody found guilty of keeping an animal covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 without a licence to do so, or anybody found guilty of failing to comply with any licence condition, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding £2,000.
Any person found guilty of obstructing or delaying an inspector or authorised veterinary practitioner or veterinary surgeon shall be subject to a fine not exceeding £2,000.
Where a person keeps an animal without a licence, or fails to comply with a licence condition, our inspectors may seize the animal and either retain it or have it destroyed or disposed of (to a zoo or elsewhere) without compensation to the owner.
Where we incur any expense in seizing, retaining or disposing of an animal then the person who was the keeper of the animal shall be liable for those costs.
Am I eligible to apply for a dangerous wild animal licence?
We have a duty to determine that an applicant is a suitable person to hold a licence to keep a dangerous wild animal. To apply for a licence you must be age 18 or over and you must not be disqualified under certain other statutes from keeping or having custody of animals.
What is it for?
To keep any animal listed in the Schedule of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification) (No2) Order 2007, with the exemption of zoos, circuses, pet shops or certain other exemptions.
Who needs one?
Anyone wishing to keep any animal listed in the Schedule of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification) (No2) Order 2007. No person may keep any dangerous wild animal without first obtaining a licence. Other than in exceptional circumstances, the person making the application must be the person who owns and possesses or proposes to own and possess the animal to which the application applies.
Contact Licensing
- licensing@shropshire.gov.uk
- 0345 678 9026 (taxis 0345 678 9046)