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Animal Boarding Establishment/Dog Sitting
Who can apply?
Any persons wishing to carry on the business of providing accommodation for other people's dogs and cats, even if the premises is a private dwelling, must obtain a licence for the local authority.
An applicant must not be disqualified for any of the following at the time of application:
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Keeping an animal boarding establishment
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Keeping a pet shop under the Pet Animals Act 1951
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Keeping animals under the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954
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Owning, keeping, being involved in the keeping or being entitled to control or influence the keeping of animals, dealing in animals or transporting or being involved in the transportation of animals under the Animals Welfare Act 2006.
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Owning, keeping, dealing in or transporting animals under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. The applicant must also not be disqualified from working with, using, driving or riding animals, providing services to animals that would involve taking possession of them, taking possession of an animal to carry out any of the activities listed or taking charge of animals for any other purpose.
How to Apply
The following criteria will be considered when the application if being evaluated:
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That the animals will be kept in suitable accommodation at all times. Suitable accommodation takes into account the construction and size of the accommodation, the number of animals to be housed in it, facilities for exercising the animals, cleanliness and temperature, lighting and ventilation provisions.
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That suitable food, drink and bedding materials will be provided and that the animals are exercised and visited regularly.
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That steps are taken to prevent and control the spread of disease among the animals and that isolation facilities are in place.
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That adequate protection is provided to the animals in the case of fire and other emergencies.
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That a register is kept. The register should contain a description of all animals received, their arrival and departure date and the name and address of the owner. The register should be available to be inspection at any time by any authorised officer of North Ayrshire Council, veterinary surgeon or practitioner.
You can download an application form and guidance notes using the link below:
Animal Boarding Application Form and notes (Word 41Kb)
Alternatively, an application form can be obtained using the contact details on the right of this page.
Completed application forms should also be sent to the contact details at the right of this page. The application form should be accompanied by the non refundable fee.
What happens next?
On receipt of the completed documents, the application will be circulated to a number of consultees and some of the consultees will inspect the premises. It will also be advertised on the Council's website to allow for members of the public to lodge any objections or representations to the issue of the licence.
If there are no objections, the licence will be issued for a period of 1 year from the date of issue.
What if I don't hear from North Ayrshire Council's Licensing Office within the specified time period?
It is in the public interest that North Ayrshire Council must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the Licensing Office within a reasonable period, please contact us. You can do this using the contact details to the right of this page.
Please note that the application process may take up to 6 weeks.
Fees
For 2010/2011 the fees for a Boarding licence are listed on the application form alternatively you can contact the Licensing Office using the contact details on the right of this page. These fees are subject to annual review.
The fee is not returnable if you decide to withdraw the application or if the licence is refused.