Don't forget your Voter ID
If you are voting in person in the General Election on Thursday 4 July, you will need to take an accepted form of photo ID with you.
If you want to run a:
or you want to look after other people's dogs in your own home, you need a licence from your local authority.
The number of cats and dogs that may be accommodated will be stated on the licence, alongside other specific conditions.
The local authority may authorise an officer, veterinary surgeon or practitioner to inspect licensed premises.
Establishments need a licence from the local authority. This is in order to regulate animal welfare standards.
Changes to the existing regulations were made in 2018, in order to:
The new Regulations are called the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
The new Regulations came into effect on 1 October 2018.
We recommend that you discuss your proposals with our Planning team to decide whether a planning application is needed.
No. An animal boarding establishment must not be run without a licence.
Under the new legislation, licences can be issued for up to three years.
The licence expiry date will depend on the risk rating that is given to the business at the time of inspection. It will also depend on the compliance with both the general conditions and the higher standards.
Information on how the length of a licence and the star rating are decided can be found in the procedural guidance notes for local authorities February 2022.
Apply for boarding cats or dogs (Word document)
Apply for boarding cats or dogs (alternative PDF document version)
Fees will be payable for applications.
Pay for a new application or renewal online
Please note you need to submit an application form as well as make the payment.
All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will be looking to make sure the applicant has the following:
Based on the information, we will assess the risk rating and award stars. Low-risk premises can be awarded up to five stars. Premises that have been assessed as higher risk can be awarded up to four stars.
If the applicant is not satisfied with the decision, they can make improvements to address highlighted issues, and ask for a re-inspection (fees apply).
A premises with a lower star rating is not necessarily a premises to avoid. There are other factors that have to be considered, such as the length of time the licence holder has been operating.
New businesses will be assessed as slightly higher risk. This is simply because there is no history of good practice that can be considered.
Information on how the length of a licence and star ratings are decided can be found in the procedural guidance notes for local authorities February 2022.
DEFRA have produced some guidance documents which will be used by inspectors to aid the inspection process.
There are some ‘optional’ and ‘required’ conditions which may help you to achieve a higher star rating.
If you have any concerns, please contact the Food and Safety Team before making a purchase or making booking arrangements.
If your application is refused, you can apply to the magistrates' court.
Animal Licence Register (Babergh)
Animal Licence Register (Mid Suffolk)