Animal welfare

All animals and pets should receive proper care.

Any person or business running under one the following must have an animal welfare licence:

• sell animals as pets or to a pet shop
• provide home boarding or day care to cats and dogs
• hire horses or donkeys out
• breed dogs for 3 or more litters in 12 months
• display animals or train animals for shows

We may check your premises before giving you a licence, you will need to prove that animals in your care are kept in suitable accommodation, have enough food, water and bedding, regularly exercised, safeguarded and protected from any infectious diseases.

Fees

Fees are for a 3 years licence depending on the premises achieving a 5 star rating. Any premises which fail to meet the 5 star standard will pay the same fee but will only receive a 1 or 2 years licence.

Animal establishment type	Fee
Selling Animals as Pets Licence	£468
Hiring Out Horses Licence	£583
Dangerous Wild Animal Licence	£506
Zoo Licence	£386
Animal Boarding Licence	£479
Home Boarding Licence	£445
Day Care for Dogs	£422
Dog Breeding Licence	£583
Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition	£445
Arranging Home Boarding for Dogs (includes one host)	£502
Arranging Home Boarding for Dogs Additional Host	£287
Copy of an Animal Welfare Licence	£46
Variation of an Animal Establishment Licence	£173
Re-rating inspection	£161

Applications

• Hiring Out Horses (Word, 213KB)
• Performing Animals (Word, 203KB)
• Animal boarding (Word, 185KB)
• Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Word, 190KB)

Animal welfare register

View the list of local people and businesses who’re licenced under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

Keep a wild animal

If you own an animal which is considered to be wild, dangerous or exotic you must have a dangerous wild animal licence which costs £429 for upto 3 years. Fees are for a 3 years licence depending on the premises achieving a 5 star rating. Any premises which fail to meet the 5 star standard will pay the same fee but will only receive a 1 or 2 years licence.

Animals you need a licence for:

• wild cats
• primates
• wild dogs, eg wolves
• certain pigs, eg wild boar
• marsupials

To apply for a Danger Wild Animal licence, please contact the Licensing team 01472 326299 (option 2).

Zoo licence

To open a zoo and display wild animals to the public for at least 7 days a year (doesn’t include a circus or pet shop), you must apply and have a licence granted by the council.

You must notify the council at least 2 months before you submit your application to let us know:

• where the zoo will be
• what animals you’ll be keeping and how many
• how you will look after the animals
• your staffing arrangements
• estimated number of visitors and vehicles
• entrance and exits points

How to apply

1. Notify the council of your plans to open a zoo
2. Complete an application to operate a zoo licence
3. Display your application at your planned site and in a local newspaper
4. Wait to hear from the council about an inspection

Fee

Fees are for a 3 years licence depending on the premises achieving a 5 star rating. Any premises which fail to meet the 5 star standard will pay the same fee but will only receive a 1 or 2 years licence.

Fee type	Cost
Zoo licence	£936

Your inspection

You will get at least 28 days notice before your inspection and you must be able to show you are:

• helping to educate people
• taking care of the animals to a high standard
• making sure animals can’t escape
• preventing pests and vermin
• considering the health and safety of local people

You must also be doing at least one of the following:

• conservation research or training
• sharing conservation information
• captive animal breeding
• helping repopulate or reintroduce species into the wild

Contact details

Licensing, Doughty road depot, Doughty road, North East Lincolnshire, DN32 0LL

Email: licensing@nelincs.gov.uk

Telephone: 01472 326299 option 2

Opening times: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm, except bank holidays