Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, explained
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/486) fundamentally changed the regulatory landscape for dog boarding, day care, and kennel businesses in the UK.
Who needs a licence?
Under the 2018 Regulations, any business providing boarding for dogs—including overnight stay or daytime care—must hold a valid licence from their local authority. This includes home boarders, commercial kennels, and dog day care centres.
Key Regulatory Conditions
Vaccination Register
For home boarding specifically, vaccination, worming, and flea treatment records are required under Schedule 4, Part 3, Para 17(k).
Note: Boarding kennels and day care operate under different schedules (Schedules 4 Part 2 and Schedule 4 Part 4 respectively) within the same regulations, which have their own distinct paragraph numbering for record-keeping requirements.
Daily Welfare Checks
General condition 9.13 (Schedule 2) requires a daily welfare check log for all animals. This must record the animal's behavior, health, and any concerns noted by staff.
Safe Storage & Use of Medicines
General condition 9.9 (Schedule 2) requires that prescribed medicines are stored safely and securely, at the correct temperature, and used in accordance with veterinarian instructions.
The Licensing Process
The process involves an application to your local council, followed by an initial inspection to determine your star rating. Councils will check your premises against both general conditions (Schedule 2) and activity-specific conditions (Schedule 4).
Non-compliance can lead to licence suspension, revocation, or a lower star rating, which increases the frequency and cost of renewals.