Pet shop licence
The Pet Animals Act 1951 requires any shop that sells pets
(livestock) to be licensed by the local authority. Officers inspect
the premises to check compliance with general health and safety
requirements and also the welfare of the animals prior to issuing
of the licence.
Apply online
Pet Shops
If you carry on a business of selling animals you will require
a licence issued by the Licensing Authority.
Scope
The Pet Animals Act defines 'the keeping of a pet shop'
as:
'Shall be construed as references to the carrying on at
premises of any nature (including a private dwelling) of a business
of selling animals as pets, and as including references to the
keeping of animals in any such premises as aforesaid with a view to
their being sold in the course of such a business, whether by the
keeper thereof or by any other person:
Provided that:
A person shall not be deemed to keep a pet shop by reason only
of his keeping or selling pedigree animals bred by him, or the
offspring of an animal kept by him as a pet;
Where a person carries on a business of selling animals as
pets in conjunction with a business of breeding pedigree animals,
and the LA is satisfied that the animals so sold by him (in so far
as they are not pedigree animals bred by him) are animals which
were acquired by him with a view to being used, if suitable, for
breeding or show purposes but have subsequently been found by him
not to be suitable or required for such use, the LA may, if it
thinks fit, direct that the said person shall not be deemed to keep
a pet shop by reason only of his carrying on the first mentioned
business.
References in this Act to the selling or keeping of animals as
pets shall be construed in accordance with the following
provisions, that is to say:
As respects cats and dogs, such references shall be construed
as including references to selling or keeping, as the case may be,
wholly or mainly for domestic purposes; and
As respects any animal, such references shall be construed as
including references to selling or keeping, as the case may be, for
ornamental purposes.
There is no definition of the word 'premises', this having
been removed by the Pet Animals (Amendment) Act of 1983, but the
sale of animals as pets as a business is prohibited in any part of
a street or public place or at a stall or barrow in a
market.
Licences
Licences remain in force until the end of the year to which it
relates and the latter is determined by the applicant as being
either the year in which it is granted or the following year. In
the first case i.e. the year in which it is granted, the licence
comes into force on the day it is granted and expires on 31st
December of that year, in the second case, i.e. the year following
that in which it is granted, it comes into force on the 1st January
of that year and expires on 31st December of that year.
Application Evaluation Process
- that animals will be kept in
suitable accommodation, for example in regards to temperature,
size, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness
- adequate food and drink will be provided
to the animals and they will be visited at suitable
intervals
- that any mammalian animals will
not be sold too young
- that steps are taken to prevent disease
spreading among the animals
- that adequate fire and emergency
provisions are in place
Conditions can be attached to a
licence to ensure that the above are complied
with.
Will Tacit Consent apply?
No. It is in the public interest that the authority must
process your application before it can be granted. If you have not
heard from the local authority within a reasonable period, please
contact us. You can do this
online if you applied through the UK Welcomes service or use
the contact details below.
Failed application & Licence holder
redress
Any applicant who is either refused
a licence or wishes to appeal a condition of a licence can appeal
to the local Magistrates' court, however please contact us in the
first instance.
Consumer Complaint
We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the
first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the
form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if
you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give
you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.
Other Redress
E.g. about noise, pollution, etc. Also should one licence holder
complain about another.
Trade Associations
Pet Care Trust
(PCT)
Definitions
Animal - includes any description of
vertebrate.
Pedigree animal - means an animal
of any description which is by its breeding eligible for
registration with a recognised club or society keeping a register
of animals of that description.
Veterinary surgeon - means a
person who is for the time being registered in the Register of
Veterinary Surgeons. Veterinary practitioner - means a person who
is for the time being registered in the Supplementary Register
(Sec. 7(3)).
FAQs
How to apply
Applications made to the Licensing Authority must specify the
premises concerned and a fee as determined by the Licensing
Authority must be paid before a licence is granted.
The factors that may be taken into account in deciding whether
or not to issue a licence are listed under 'Conditions' below but
these are without prejudice to the Licensing Authority's discretion
to refuse a licence on any other grounds.