Animal Boarding Licence

Completing your application

How to apply

Apply Online

You can also download the application form here:

Animal Boarding Licence Application Form

Supporting information

• Model Licence for Cat Boarding Establishments
• Model Licence Conditions and Guidance for Dog Boarding Establishments
• Home Boarding Establishments Licence Conditions and Guidance Notes
• Home Animal Boarding Licence Conditions
• Commercial Day Boarding Establishments and Guidance Notes
• Commercial Animal Boarding Conditions
• Commercial Cat Boarding Licence and Conditions
• Commercial Day Boarding Licence Conditions

The information you supply on this form will be used for the purpose for which you have provided it, and appropriate measures are in place to protect your personal data.  A full privacy notice, which provides information about your rights under current data protection legislation and details about what will happen to your personal data can be found here:

• Privacy Notice - Animal Health

Fees

There is an application fee of £221.30 which must be paid at the time an application is made.

Please note: applications for licences for Home Boarding are charged a reduced fee of £153.50

• If you are making your application online,  you will be directed to our online payment system when you have completed your application
• If you are sending us your application, you can send a cheque for the fee, made payable to Argyll and Bute Council to the address below:

Receipt of your completed application form and the appropriate fee will be confirmed in writing, and an unannounced licensing inspection carried out before your licence is issued. If you have not heard from us within 14 days, please contact us.

Where a licence is granted, that licence and any subsequent licence will expire on the 31st December of the year to which the licence relates and must be renewed annually before that date if the premises are to continue as an animal boarding establishment.

Contact Us

You can contact us using our online enquiry form

By post at:

Argyll and Bute Council
Regulatory Services
Kilmory
Lochgilphead
PA31 8RT

Or phone: 01546 605519

Eligibility Criteria

An applicant must not be disqualified from any of the following at the time of application:

• keeping an animal boarding establishment.
• keeping a pet shop 
• keeping animals 
• 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 
• Keeping a breeding establishment for dogs
• Or subject to a Dog Control Order

The Application Process

Before being granted a licence your premises will be inspected to make sure that certain conditions have been met, you must be able to demonstrate:

1. That the animals will at all times be kept in suitable accommodation, in respect of construction, size of quarters, number of occupants, exercising facilities, temperatures, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness.
2. That animals will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding materials, adequately exercised, and (so far as is necessary) visited at suitable intervals.
3. That all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent and control the spread of infectious or contagious diseases, including the provision of adequate isolation facilities.
4. That appropriate measures will be taken to protect the animals in case of fire or other emergency, including the provision of suitable fire fighting equipment.
5. That a register containing a description of any animal received into the establishment, the date of arrival and departure, and the name and address of the owner will be kept, and that the register will be available for inspection at all times by a licensing inspector or by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner authorised by the council.
6. A licence may be refused or withheld on other grounds if those grounds are such that conditions were not suitable for the boarding of animals.
7. Each licence issued is subject to standard conditions (see above) that are imposed on all animal boarding establishments licensed by the council.
8. In addition to the standard conditions a licence may also contain special conditions that are only applicable to your premises.

Objections and Appeals

If your licence application has been refused or you do not agree with any conditions imposed you have a right of appeal to the Sheriff Court.

Appeals against the refusal of an application must be made to the Sheriff Principal of North Strathclyde, Paisley Sheriff Court, St James Street, Paisley, PA3 2AW who may give such directions regarding the licence or its conditions.

If you do not have a licence or do not comply with any of the conditions, you may be prosecuted, fined up to £5000 and/or imprisoned for up to 3 months, or both.

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the service provider by you. This would preferably be done in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give you advice or you can contact us directly. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

If you wish to complain about the welfare of the animals, nuisance caused by the operation of the boarding establishment etc. or are one licence holder wishing to complain about another, please contact us.