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
- Notify the council of your plans to open a zoo
- Complete an application to operate a zoo licence
- Display your application at your planned site and in a local newspaper
- 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
Related documents
General conditions for all premises (PDF, 80KB)
Conditions for premises selling animals as pets (PDF, 69KB)
Conditions for premises providing Boarding for cats (PDF, 70KB)
Conditions for premises providing boarding in kennels for dogs (PDF, 71KB)
Conditions for premises providing home boarding for dogs (PDF, 71KB)
Conditions for premises providing day care for dogs (PDF, 68KB)
Conditions for premises hiring out horses (PDF, 68KB)
Conditions for dog breeding (PDF, 76KB)
Conditions for training and keeping animals for exhibition (PDF, 68KB)
Related websites
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