Animal Boarding Establishments

To keep a boarding establishment (catery or kennel) you will need a license, with more information available on the following links:

• Am I eligible?
• How to apply
• Our duties
• Right of appeal
• Offences and penalties

For more information, please contact our Licensing section at the Civic Centre on (0115) 901 3971 or email licensing@gedling.gov.uk

Am I eligible?

An Animal Boarding Establishment license will be issued as long as you have not been disqualified under any of the following Acts:

• The Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963
• The Pet Animals Act 1951
• The Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954
• The Protection of Animals (Cruelty to Dogs) (Scotland) Act 1934

How to apply

The current application fee for the period April 2009 to March 2010 is set at £110. Please note that this fee, which must be paid at the time of application, does not include any vets fees.

To make an application, please return the form below to the contact details provided:

• Application Form For Animal Boarding Establishment License PDF (81KB)

All licenses will expire on 31st December on the year to which your license relates. To continue as an animal boarding establishment, you must renew this license before its expiration.

Our duties

Before granting a license, we will appoint a vet to your establishment who will require you to show:

• That animals will at all times be kept in accommodation suitable in respect of construction, size of quarters, number of occupants, exercising facilities, temperatures, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness.
• That animals will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding materials, exercised and (so far as is necessary) visited at suitable intervals.
• That all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent and control the spread of infectious or contagious diseases, including the provision of adequate isolation facilities.
• That appropriate measures will be taken to protect the animals in case of fire or other emergency, including the provision of suitable fire fighting equipment.
• That a register containing a description of any animal received into the establishment, the date of arrival and departure, and the name and address of the owner will be kept. This register must also be available for inspection at all times by any Licensing inspector, Veterinary Surgeon or Veterinary Practitioner acting on our authority.

A licence may be refused or withheld if conditions are not suitable for the boarding of animals. In addition to the standard conditions, a licence may also contain special conditions that are only applicable to your premises.

Right of appeal

If you would like to appeal against being refused a licence or to the conditions of a licence, you can appeal to the Magistrates Court.

Offences and penalties

Anybody found guilty of keeping an animal boarding establishment without a licence may be subject to a fine not exceeding £500 or three months imprisonment or both.

Anybody found guilty of failing to comply with the conditions of their licence may be subject to a fine not exceeding £500 or to three months imprisonment or both.

Anybody found guilty of obstructing or delaying an inspector, authorised Veterinary Surgeon or Veterinary Practitioner in the exercising of their powers of entry may be fined up to a maximum of £500.

If found guilty under this Act, the defendant's licence may be cancelled and they may be disqualified from keeping an animal boarding establishment for a length of time, as determined by the Court.

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