Animal re-homing
How to make an application
Submit your application form to the Licencing Authority, links to the application form and guidance are on this page, and pay the appropriate fee.
An inspection of the premises where the activity will be carried out, will be undertaken. The inspection will cover the following:
- the applicant and their relevant experience
- the suitability of the premises including overall condition, security, availability of any necessary equipment/facilities, ventilation, cleanliness etc
- staffing ratio and staff experience/qualifications, where applicable
- the quality of record keeping
- the wellbeing and condition of any animals on site at the time of inspection
Should it be deemed necessary, a further inspection (conducted by a SSPCA inspector or veterinarian) may be instructed, with the cost of this payable by the applicant.
What happens next?
The regulations allow for licensing authorities to issue licenses for one, two or three years' duration.
Considerations to be made before determining the duration of the licence include:
- the potential risk of the licence holder failing to meet or comply with the conditions of the licence and the possible consequences for the welfare of any animals on the premises to be licensed
- whether the applicant is already operating to higher standards of animal welfare than required by the licence conditions
- the knowledge and experience of the applicant in relation to the activity to be licensed
- in the case of licence renewals, whether the applicant has a history of good compliance and consistently operates to and demonstrates high animal welfare standards
The regulations also require the licensing authority to publish a register of licence holders for each of the licensable activities. This is to enable prospective buyers of pet animals to quickly and easily check whether a breeder or seller is licensed to operate as such.
Offences
It will be considered an offence to:
- undertake a licensable activity without an appropriate licence issued by the local authority
- to provide to an inspector or local authority, information which the applicant knows, or ought reasonably to have known, is false or misleading
- fail to comply with the general or relevant specific licence conditions issued
- obstruct any appointed inspector to enforce the regulations
- fail to comply with any reasonable request from an inspector to facilitate the identification and examination of an animal and the taking of samples
Download the re-homing application form
Download the re-homing guidance
Download the re-homing licence conditions
**Please note licence fees are non-refundable**