​​​​​​​When do you require a licence?

The listed activities require a licence:

• Businesses which provide accommodation for other people's cats and dogs, where the provision of that accommodation is part or solely the activity of the business
• Businesses which arrange for the provision of accommodation for other people's cats and dogs, for example, businesses which connect pet owners with people willing to look after their animals for no fee (just minor expenses). The accommodation provided in these circumstances must meet the licence conditions, and it is the responsibility of the business to ensure that this is the case. The local authority needs to be satisfied that the conditions are met in all of the accommodation provided. The business must provide (and keep updated) a list of their associated premises. This applies regardless of whether the business is arranging for dog boarding in kennels, cat boarding, home boarding or day care for dogs.
• Businesses which provide overnight accommodation for cats in purpose built cattery units.
• Home boarding of cats, where the cats are kept in purpose built cattery units and not in the domestic home.
• Businesses which provide overnight accommodation for dogs in a home environment. This must be inside a domestic home which is not the usual home where the animals are kept, and not in external kennel accommodation (where external kennel accommodation is used, this would fall under the scope of providing boarding in kennels for dogs).
• Businesses which provide daytime accommodation for dogs away from the dog's normal place of residence and do not keep them overnight.