Selling animals as pets
- Apply for a pet shop licence
The current fee for this licence is:
- £415 Pet Shop License
- £392 Pet Shop License - from home
To help applicants, guidance notes for the licensable activity are available to download. This contains further information on what will be required to meet the conditions, a set of which will be included on the granted licence.
It also provides advice as to what steps applicants can take to possibly achieve a higher star rating. Once a completed application and payment has been received, we will examine the information provided, then instruct the Animal Welfare Officer to arrange an inspection.
All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will be looking to make sure the applicant has the following:
- A specialist knowledge in the species that they are caring for and a clear understanding of its needs and welfare. This would include the animals' mental and physical health, feeding and knowledge of environmental enrichment. The applicant should be able to demonstrate that they have researched and followed expert guidance in order to carry out their role.
- Comprehensive records that contain all the information required by the conditions that apply to their particular activities.
- An understanding of risks involved in caring for the animal, including an extensive risk assessment and written policies and procedures that are reviewed regularly. These documents should be available for the Inspector to examine.
- Training procedures in place to make sure staff know what is expected of them, and clear evidence of good supervision of staff.
- The premises itself will also be assessed so we can be sure the licence holder can meet the new laws relating to the physical environment in which the animals will be kept.
Based on the information, we will assess the risk rating and award stars. Low-risk premises can attain up to five stars, and premises that have been assessed as higher risk can be awarded up to four stars. If the applicant is not satisfied with the decision, they can make improvements to address highlighted issues, and ask for a re-inspection.