The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018

The Animal Welfare(external link) regulations came into force in October 2018 and are made under section 13(7) and 13(8) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. They updated and replaced legislation for selling animals as pets, dog and cat boarding, dog breeding and riding establishments. In addition to this it introduced, for the first time, a licence regime for keeping and training animals for exhibition.

Under Schedule 1 of the regulation, a licensable activity means one of five activities involving animals:

• Selling animals as pets
• Providing for or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs
• Hiring out horses
• Dog breeding
• Keeping or training animals for exhibition

In order to be granted a licence, both the general conditions in Schedule 2 and the specific conditions relating to that activity must be met. Schedules 3 to 7 cover the specific conditions for each licensable activity and these must be read in conjunction with the guidance document(external link) for each activity.

Risk based scoring system

View the Public Register of animal activity licensed establishments.

Further information

• Animal Welfare Regulations 2018
• Animal Welfare Act 2006
• Further guidance and documents.
• Advice for animal attraction businesses – Keeping Everyone Safe