Animal welfare acts in relation to accommodation

RE: Animal welfare acts in relation to accommodation

Helen Freer — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 19:51:44 GMT

Having run a boarding establishment I totally agree with your interpretation, Ian. However it should also be noted that different councils do apply different requirements to boarding establishments (it is not a level playing field across the country). Therefore equally different councils may interpret when a licence is required differently.

RE: Animal welfare acts in relation to accommodation

Ian M — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 22:34:39 GMT

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies but not specifically to these kind of establishments - it applies in the same way as it does to you or me as pet owners or to a farm. Where it got a bit confusing is that when it was originally brought in, the Animal Welfare Act included sections where secondary law could in the future be made under it (these are regulations which don't need the full Parliamentary process like primary law does). It was envisaged that all the old legislation for pet shops, riding schools, zoos etc (most of which is unfit for purpose now) would be repealed and replaced by new regulations which came from the AWA. It would also include the licensing of activities which had not been subject to licensing before (e.g. livery yards). Then we had a change of Government in 2010 which changed emphasis from more regulation to less regulation, the Animal Welfare Act was then not used fully, and the old laws are still there for the foreseeable future.

RE: Animal welfare acts in relation to accommodation

Faye Lennon — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 22:12:24 GMT

Thank you for your help I thought the welfare act 2006 was the main one but I just wanted to make sure :)

RE: Animal welfare acts in relation to accommodation

Ian M — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 20:48:48 GMT

Only if it becomes a substantial part of your business and the local authority could establish that you had moved outside the normal kind of patient care that goes with the territory. In other words, if you opened a ward and charged people to board their cats there, you probably would, but if you occasionally had a client's diabetic cat ion while they are on holds, then probably not.

(Inspected kennels and pet shops for 6 years)

Ian