Providing or arranging day care for dogs 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.
Licences to provide dog day care are issued under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
The conditions attached to dog day care licences are set out in the regulations. The conditions are mandatory and can't be added to, deleted or amended by us. You can find the conditions and the guidance which accompanies them in the 'Related documents' section of this page.
Who needs a licence to provide dog day care?
Businesses which provide accommodation for other people’s dogs where the provision of the accommodation is part or solely the activity of the business, is away from the dog’s normal place of residence and is not overnight
Businesses which arrange for the provision of accommodation for other people’s dogs, eg businesses which connect pet owners with people willing to look after their animals for no fee or minor expenses, and the accommodation is away from the dog’s normal place of residence and is not overnight
Who doesn’t need a licence to provide dog day care?
Businesses where accommodation is provided for other people’s dogs, but where the provision of that accommodation is not the purpose of that business, eg veterinary practices where accommodation is provided as part of the treatment of the animal
Businesses that look after the dog within its normal place of residence, eg dog sitters
What is the ‘business test’?
The regulations specify two business tests to be considered when deciding if an activity is commercial, and therefore requires a licence. They're not the only method to determine if a licence is required, but we must take them into account when deciding if a licence is required.
- Does the operator make any sale, or otherwise carry on the activity, with a view to making a profit, or;
- Does the operator earn any commission or fee from the activity.
These two tests will be considered alongside the factors in the ‘Who needs a licence to breed dogs’ section when determining if a licence is required.
How long does a licence last?
The length of a dog breeding licence is determined by its star rating:
- 1 star = one-year licence
- 2 star = one-year licence
- 3 star = two-year licence
- 4 star = two-year licence
- 5 star = three-year licence
A licence runs from the date it is granted and must be renewed by the anniversary of the date it was granted in either one, two or three years – dependent on the star rating (see above).
Existing licence holders will receive a reminder from us three months before their licence is due for renewal with a renewal application pack enclosed. Renewal applications must be returned to us a minimum of ten weeks before the expiry date of the initial licence.
Required standards and how to meet them
Please visit the GOV.UK website for the guidance on the required standards and how to meet them.
Contact Licensing
- licensing@shropshire.gov.uk
- 0345 678 9026 (taxis 0345 678 9046)