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

PART 2 Providing boarding in kennels for dogs

Interpretation

6.  In this Part—

“exercise run” means an enclosed area forming part of a kennel unit attached to and with direct access to the sleeping area;

“kennel unit” means the physical structure and area that consists of a sleeping area and an exercise run;

“premises” means the premises on which the licensable activity of providing boarding in kennels for dogs is carried on.

Suitable environment

7.—(1) Dogs within the premises must be prevented from coming into contact with other animals from outside the premises.

(2) In each kennel unit, the sleeping area must—

(a) be free from draughts;

(b) provide the dog with sufficient space to—

(i) sit and stand at full height,

(ii) lie down fully stretched-out,

(iii) wag its tail,

(iv) walk, and

(v) turn around,

without touching another dog or the walls;

(c) have a floor area which is at least twice the area required for the dog in it to lie flat; and

(d) if built after the date on which these Regulations come into force, have a floor area of at least 1.9 square metres.

(3) Each kennel unit must be clearly numbered and there must be a system in place which ensures that information about the dog or dogs in each kennel unit is available to all staff and any inspector.

(4) Each dog must have constant access to its sleeping area.

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

(6) Each exercise run must have a single, safe, secure, waterproof roof over a minimum of half its total area.

(7) Where a dog poses a health or welfare risk to other dogs, it must be kept on its own in a kennel unit and, if that kennel unit adjoins another kennel unit, any adjoining wall must be of full height and width so as to prevent the dog from coming into physical contact with any other dog.

(8) Only dogs from the same household may share a kennel unit.

Monitoring of behaviour and training

8.—(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) All dogs must be provided with toys or feeding enrichment (or both) unless advice from a veterinarian suggests otherwise.

(3) All toys and other enrichment items must be checked daily to ensure they remain safe and must be cleaned and disinfected at least weekly.

(4) Each dog must be exercised at least once daily away from its kennel unit as appropriate for its age and health.

(5) Any dog which, on the advice of a veterinarian, cannot be exercised must be provided with alternative forms of mental stimulation.

(6) There must be an area within each kennel unit in which a dog can avoid seeing people and other dogs outside the kennel unit if it so chooses.

Records

9.—(1) A register must be kept of all the dogs on the premises 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 the 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 the 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

10.—(1) Where any other activity involving animals is undertaken on the premises, it must be kept entirely separate from the area where the activity of providing boarding for dogs in kennels takes place.

(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.

(3) A holding kennel unit must only be used in an emergency and must not be used for longer than is necessary and in any event for no longer than a total of 12 hours in any 24-hour period.

(4) In sub-paragraph (3), “holding kennel unit” means a kennel unit, separate from any other kennel unit, in which a dog may be housed temporarily.