The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018

PART 3 E+W Providing home boarding for dogs

Interpretation E+W

11.  In this Part—

“designated room” means a room within the home allocated to a dog;

“home” means a domestic dwelling on which the licensable activity of providing home boarding for dogs is carried on.

Home E+W

12.—(1) Dogs must be accommodated within the home.

(2) The home must include—

(a) direct access to a private, non-communal, secure and hazard-free external area, and

(b) at least two secure physical barriers between any dog and any entrance to or exit from it.

Suitable environment E+W

13.—(1) Dogs from different households may only be boarded at the same time with the written consent of every owner.

(2) Each dog must be provided with its own designated room where it can, if necessary, be kept separate from other dogs.

(3) Each dog must have a clean, comfortable and warm area within its designated room where it can rest and sleep.

(4) Each designated room must have a secure window to the outside that can be opened and closed as necessary.

(5) A dog must not be confined in a crate for longer than three hours in any 24-hour period.

(6) A dog must not be kept in a crate unless—

(a) it is already habituated to it,

(b) a crate forms part of the normal routine for the dog, and

(c) the dog's owner has consented to the use of a crate.

(7) Any crate in which a dog is kept must be in good condition and sufficiently large for the dog to sit and stand in it at full height, lie flat and turn around.

Suitable diet E+W

14.  Each dog must be fed separately in its designated room unless its owner has given written consent to the contrary.

Monitoring of behaviour and training E+W

15.—(1) Any equipment that a dog is likely to be in contact with and any toy provided must not pose a risk of pain, suffering, disease or distress to the dog and must be correctly used.

(2) Each dog must be exercised at least once daily as appropriate for its age and health.

(3) Dogs which on the advice of a veterinarian cannot be exercised must be provided with alternative forms of mental stimulation.

Housing with or apart from other dogs E+W

16.—(1) Written consent must be obtained from the owner or owners (as the case may be) to keep dogs together in a designated room.

(2) Unneutered bitches must be prevented from mating.

(3) If any person aged under 16 years resides at the home, there must be procedures in place to regulate the interactions between the dogs and that person.

Records E+W

17.—(1) A register must be kept of all the dogs accommodated in the home which must include—

(a) the dates of each dog's arrival and departure;

(b) each dog's name, age, sex, neuter status, microchip number and a description of it or its breed;

(c) the number of any dogs from the same household;

(d) a record of which dogs (if any) are from the same household;

(e) the name, postal address, telephone number (if any) and email address (if any) of the owner of each dog and emergency contact details;

(f) in relation to each dog, the name, postal address, telephone number and email address of a local contact in an emergency;

(g) the name and contact details of each dog's normal veterinarian and details of any insurance relating to the dog;

(h) details of each dog's relevant medical and behavioural history, including details of any treatment administered against parasites and restrictions on exercise;

(i) details of each dog's diet and related requirements;

(j) any required consent forms;

(k) a record of the date or dates of each dog's most recent vaccination, worming and flea treatments;

(l) details of any medical treatment each dog is receiving.

(2) When outside the premises, each dog must wear an identity tag which includes the licence holder's name and contact details.

Protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease E+W

18.—(1) Before a dog is admitted for boarding, all equipment to be used by or in relation to that dog must be cleaned and disinfected.

(2) A preventative healthcare plan agreed with the veterinarian with whom the licence holder has registered under paragraph 9(8) of Schedule 2 must be implemented.