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Animal licences

Please note: Our Licensing team are not responsible for administering animal licences. You need to apply for an animal licence through our Food Safety and Hygiene team.

There are several animal licences that you can apply for within the district. These licences would allow you to:

  • provide boarding for cats (via a cattery) or dogs (via a kennel)
  • provide dog day care
  • provide home boarding for dogs, or become a home boarding agent
  • breed dogs
  • hire out horses
  • keep dangerous wild animals
  • keep or train animals for exhibition
  • sell animals as pets
  • open a zoo

Primates

On 6 April 2026, The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2023 will come into force, requiring a licence to be held in order to keep a primate.

Animal Licence Register

View premises in the district that hold an animal licence(s), administered by us

Boarding for cats or dogs

You need a licence to provide - or arrange for - the boarding of cats or dogs

Breeding dogs

Apply for a licence to breed dogs and advertise a dog selling business

Hiring out of horses

You need a licence to hire horses out for riding with a view to making profit

Keeping dangerous wild animals

You need a licence to keep some animals that are considered to be dangerous, wild or exotic

Keeping or training animals for exhibition

You need a licence to keep or train animals for exhibition

Primates

Only private keepers who can provide zoo-level welfare standards will be able to keep primates

Selling animals as pets

You need a licence to sell animals as pets in a commercial setting

Zoos

If you display wild animals to the public for 7 or more days a year, a zoo licence is required