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Animal Boarding

An Animal Boarding Establishment is defined as any premises (including a private house) used to carry on a business of providing accommodation for other people's animals (dogs and/or cats).

This webpage should be read in conjunction with our Animal Welfare Overview page:

 https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/article/9523/Animal-Welfare

To run an Animal Boarding Establishment, which includes dog boarding kennels, dog home boarding, dog day care and catteries, an Animal Welfare Licence will be required.  The number of animals that may be accommodated will be specified on the licence along with other specific conditions.

Eligibility Criteria

Please refer to our Animal Welfare Overview page for information:

https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/article/9523/Animal-Welfare

Application Process

Applicants must complete a licence application form.  The application form must be accompanied with the required documentation specified on the form and the licence application fee - currently £350.00.  Details of how to pay the fee can be found on the application form. The licence applicant must satisfy the nationally set  licence conditions; guidance on these conditions is set out in the DEFRA guidance notes.

The licence application form and guidance can be found at the bottom on this page. 

Please Note - applicants who wish to provide dog day care in a domestic (home) environment should refer to the DEFRA home boarding guidance.  If dog day care is to be provided anywhere other than a domestic (home) environment applicants should refer to the DEFRA dog day care guidance.

If more than one licensable animal activity is being carried on, applicants must complete an application form for each of the licensable activities.  For example, if they operate a business of providing dog boarding and breeding dogs for sale they would need to complete an application form for animal boarding and an application form for breeding/selling dogs.  Provided that the applications are made at the same time there will be only one application fee payable - currently £350.00.

Application Evaluation Process

Once the application is received by the Council it will be forwarded to an appropriate officer to inspect the premises.  The premises, facilities and management will be inspected to ensure they comply with the current animal boarding licence conditions.

Applications are then either approved with licence conditions or refused.

The following criteria (and other relevant matters) will be considered when the application is being evaluated:

  • That the animals will be kept in suitable accommodation at all times. Suitable accommodation takes into account the construction and size of the accommodation, the number of animals to be housed in it, facilities for exercising the animals, cleanliness and temperature, lighting and ventilation provisions.
  • That suitable food, drink and bedding materials will be provided and that the animals are exercised and visited regularly.
  • That steps are taken to prevent and control the spread of disease among the animals and that isolation facilities are in place.
  • That adequate protection is provided to the animals in the case of fire and other emergencies.
  • That a register is kept. The register should contain a description of all animals received, their arrival and departure date and the name and address of the owner. The register should be available to be inspected at any time by a local authority officer, veterinary surgeon or practitioner.

Full details of the conditions that must be satisfied can be found in the DEFRA guidance documents.

Tacit Consent

We normally aim to have applications determined within 10 weeks of receipt of a valid and complete application.  However, if we have been unable to determine an application in this time a licence will not be automatically granted due to animal welfare implications and therefore tacit consent does not apply.  This means that applicants must wait for the Council to determine their application before any animal boarding activities can take place.

Failed Application Redress

Applicants that have their licence application refused may appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal.  The appeal must be made in writing or email and within 28 days of the date of notification of refusal to grant a licence.

Star Rating - Licence Holder Redress

If an applicant is granted a licence but is unhappy with their star rating they should, in the first instance, contact the Licensing Team.  If the matter can not be resolved the licence holder may appeal to the Council; the appeal must be made in writing and within 21 days of the original notification.

Consumer Complaint

If you have any concerns regarding an animal boarding establishment in the East Lindsey District please contact the Licensing Team using the contact details below:

The Licensing Team, East Lindsey District Council, The Hub, Mareham Road, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6PH.

Email: licensing@e-lindsey.gov.uk

Animal Boarding Register

'A register of licensed animal boarding establishments is available on the Council's website here. 

Regulations Summary

·         Animal Welfare Act 2006  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/contents

·         The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/486/contents/made

·         The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1093/contents/made

Trade Associations

Related Documents