Animal Activity Licences
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into force in October 2018 and introduced changes to the laws relating to animal activity licensing.
You will need a licence if you want to
- sell animals as pets
- provide for or arrange for the provision of boarding of cats or dogs (including boarding in kennels or catteries, home boarding for dogs and dog day care)
- hire out horses (not restricted to riding lessons)
- keep or train animals for exhibition (including performance) – Note: this activity in the Derbyshire Dales was previously regulated by Derbyshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service
- breed dogs (3 litters a year or more where the business threshold test is met. Please note that you could meet the business threshold with fewer litters so a licence would be required).
The licensing of Zoos and the Keeping of Dangerous Wild Animals are not included or directly affected by these Regulations.
Business Test
If you are not sure whether you require a licence or whether the business threshold is met, you will need to supply as much information and evidence as possible so that we can assess your operation and advise accordingly. NOTE: In the Government’s 2016 Budget a new allowance was announced of £1,000 for trading income from April 2017. Anyone whose trading income falls below this level would not normally be considered to be trading as a business.
A Single Licence
One of more of these activities at the same premises will be authorised by a single licence, known as an Animal Activity Licence.
These licences will be issued subject to new nationally-set licence conditions.
Any business wanting to operate one of these animal-related activities will have to be assessed before the licence is granted to make sure they can comply with the requirements.
A star-rating system for licensed premises has been introduced, and a rating of 1 to 5 will be awarded. The rating will dictate the length of time for which the licence is granted. This can be 1, 2 or 3 years.
The minimum duration of a licence will be 1 year, but where higher standards are achieved a 2 or 3 year licence will be granted. Where higher standards are met this will result in fewer renewals and the premises being inspected less frequently.
More information about the rating system is contained in the Guidance Notes from Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Each guidance document details the nationally-set conditions/standards for each of the activities involving animals. These conditions will need to be complied with before a licence is granted or renewed.
The latest Guidance Notes for Local Authority Inspectors in respect of each licensable activity can be viewed on the Gov.UK website.
Application Fees from 1st April 2024 until 31st March 2025 (inclusive)
Applications can be emailed to
The fees for Animal Activity Licences can be found on our Licensing Fees website page.
To make the payment when submitting the application, please call 01629 761166. You will need to confirm that you are applying for an Animal Activity Licence, give your name, premises name, quote the relevant cash code stated on the fees and charges list (the 4 digit number to the right of the fee charge, under the heading 'cost code').
(The first 30 minutes of advice we provide will be free of charge).
Once the fully completed application and accompanying documentation has been submitted and payment has been made the timescale for grant of a licence is 10 to 12 weeks.
Vet Inspection(s)
New applications may be subject to an inspection by a vet appointed by the District Council, and in some circumstances a Vet may be required to inspect your premises before your renewal application can be determined. In either case you will be invoiced separately for the total costs of any Vet inspection(s) plus VAT, plus an arrangement fee.
Any inspections carried out by a Vet will be arranged by the District Council. The inspection report will be provided directly to the Council, and a copy of the inspection report will be made available to the applicant/licence-holder on receipt of full payment of the vet's fees.
Am I eligible?
An Animal Activity Licence will be issued as long as the premises/business can comply with the nationally-set standards and licence conditions.
Schedule 8 of the Regulations provides details of persons who may not apply for a licence.
Regulation summary
View The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018
How will my application be evaluated?
Once your application form and fee(s) have been received and verified as complete, an inspection of your premises will be arranged. The inspection will be carried out by an authorised officer of the Council (and, in some cases, a vet) to ensure your premises comply with the nationally-set standards and conditions detailed in the regulations and explained in more detail in the Guidance Note documents provided by DEFRA.
Application Forms
Application forms can be downloaded here
Application form - Dog breeding
Application form for licence to board dogs and(or) cats
Application for a licence to sell pets
Application form for a licence to exhibit/train animals
Application form for licence to Hire out horses
Animal Activity Licence Public Register
Licence no, Name, Location, Star rating, Number Permitted, Licence Start Date, Licence End Date
Animal Boarder Arranger
LN/000011419 Apple Tree Cattery, Doveridge, 5 Star, 19 Cats - 01/01/2025 31/12/2027
LN/000011688 Upperwood Boarding Kennels, Matlock, 2 Star, 45 Dogs / 12 Cats - 20/06/2025 19/06/2027
LN/000011414 Mandy's Cattery, Over Haddon, 3 Star, 44 Cats - 01/07/2023 - 30/06/2025
LN/000011518 Dottie for Dogs, Over Haddon, 5 star, 5 including resident dogs - 20/08/2025 - 19/08/2028
LN/000012321 Norma's Nook, Matlock, 2 Star, 2 Dogs - 27/11/2024 - 26/11/2025
LN/000012038 Stankirk Kennels & Cattery, Darley Dale, 3 Star, 50 Dogs, 24 cats & Dog Daycare & Overnight - 11/06/2024 - 10/06/2026
LN/000011517 Creature Comforts Cattery, Ashbourne, 5 Star, 14 Cats - 01/08/2024 - 31/07/2026
LN/000011929 Home From Home Dog Care, Hulland Village, 3 Star, 8 Dogs - 19/08/2024 - 18/08/2026
LN/000012361 Dog Boarder, Tideswell, 3 Star, 2 Dogs from 1 Household (No domestic pets) - 02/12/2024 - 01/12/2026
LN/000011508 Waggy Tails, Tansley, 5 Star, 20 Dogs - 01/01/2024 - 31/01/2027
LN/000011534 White Meadow Farm Osmaston, 5 Star, 15 Dogs - 26/04/2024 - 25/04/2027
LN/000011611 Cockey Farm, Hathersage, 5 star, 10 Dogs from max 5 different households - 29/04/2024 - 28/04/2027
LN/000011469 Longford Dog Home Boarding, Longford, 4 Star, 5 Dogs - 20/05/2024 - 19/05/2027
LN/000011893 Peak Cattery, Wardlow, 5 Star 44 Cats - 04/07/2024 - 03/07/2027
LN/000012276 Dogs Aloud, Lea Bridge, 5 Star 4 (Excluding Owner's Domestic Pet) - 23/08/2024 - 22/08/2027
LN/000011417 Pam Kirk Dog Boarding, Wyaston, 5 Star Daycare:10 dogs & Overnight Boarding: 3 dogs - 01/11/2024 - 31/10/2027
LN/000011512 Animal Minders, Bolehill, 5 Star 6 Dogs - 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2027
Dog Breeding
LN/000011412 David Cooper, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1ND 24/04/2024 - 23/04/2026
LN/000012869 Geoffrey Wood, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1DF 24/03/2025 - 23/03/2026
Animal Exhibition & Pet Shop
LN/000012003 Aquarium And Exhibition Matlock Bath 5 Star Fish and Aquatic animals only. - 16/08/2024 - 15/08/2027
Exhibition of Animals
LN/000011869 Peaky Pacas, Holymoorside, Alpacas 20 - 19/07/2024 - 18/07/2027
LN/000012249 Rustic Retreats, Carsington, Alpacas and Goats 20 on site, max 5 for exhibition off the premises - 09/10/2024 - 08/10/2027
LN/000012330 Alpaca Shack, Wirksworth, Alpacas 8 - 24/11/2024 - 23/11/2027
LN/000012370 Animal Encounters, Wirksworth, Various, 30 Animals Maximum - 01/12/2024 - 30/11/2027
Hiring Out of Horses Licence
LN/000011681 Abbotsholme, School Rocester, 5 Star, 8 Horses 1 not suitable for hacking. - 01/01/2023 - 31/12/2025
LN/000011771 Brook Close Farm, Parwich, 3 Star 6 - 13/06/2024 - 12/06/2026
LN/000011788 Homestead Stables, Mercaston, 4 Star, 8 Horses 1 not suitable for hacking. - 13/06/2024 - 12/06/2026
Selling Animals As Pets
LN/000011781 End Unit, Bakewell, 3 Star - 01/02/2024 - 31/01/2026
LN/000012049 Matlock Garden Centre, Tansley, 5 Star - 11/09/2024 - 10/09/2027
