Animal activity licence
You must have an animal activity licence if you:
- provide or arrange boarding facilities for cats or dogs
- breed dogs
- sell animals as pets
- hire out horses
- keep or train animals for exhibition
The current Animal Welfare Regulations began on 1 October 2018.
Costs
You must pay for each licensable activity that your licence will cover.
Licence Fees and Charges 2024 to 2025 - pdf - 176 Kb
Franchise/host fees
If a franchise has 4 host families within West Oxfordshire District, the fee would be the initial franchise licence fee plus the additional licences.
Additional activity fees
If you are applying for more than one activity, you must pay the full amount for the most expensive activity, then the additional amount for each extra activity.
How to apply
Before you apply for a licence you should read the guidance notes.
Return your completed application form, supporting documents and fee to ers@westoxon.gov.uk.
Or by post:
West Oxfordshire District Council
Woodgreen Offices
Witney
OX28 1NB
Star rating scheme
We use a risk-based system to decide your star rating and the length of the licence. This does not include “Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition” where all licences are valid for 3 years.
For further information on the star rating scheme, refer to the procedural guidance notes.
Approval of your licence
We aim to evaluate your application within 10 weeks, but it may take longer.
Vet inspection fees
Depending on which activities you are applying for, we may need to appoint a vet to inspect your premises. Vet inspections are not covered by the application fees, so we’ll invoice you for this service.
DEFRA Guidance
The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs has produced procedural guidance for local authorities. It can also be used by those who currently have a licence or wish to apply for one.
The page includes guidance on:
- providing boarding for cats and dogs
- dog breeding
- selling animals as pets
- hiring out horses
- keeping or training animals for exhibition