InformationSelling animals as pets
Overview
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018
You will need a licence if you want to sell animals as pets.
Pets can be sold in shops, but also from some homes and other business premises.
You can't sell animals as pets in public places - for example, from a market stall.
Restrictions
You won't be given a licence if you’ve committed any animal health or welfare offences, or if you’ve been banned from:
running a riding establishment
running a pet shop
keeping animals, including in a boarding kennel or cattery
Apply and Renew licences to sell animals as pets
Licence applications
If you want to sell animals as pets you will need to apply for a licence. You will need to complete a Pet Sales Licence application.
Alternatively you can download our application form here and return this to us via email at environmentalhealth@eastdevon.gov.uk
What you will need
You will need to provide us with information about the business such as your operating procedures outlining how you meet and comply with each of the conditions of the licence.
The following documents will need to be available for inspection during your visit:
Preventative Healthcare Plan/ Biosecurity Risk Assessment (signed by applicant’s registered veterinarian).
Staff Training Policy
Feeding procedure
Transport Procedure
Monitoring and Ensuring health and Welfare of Animals Procedure
Death and Escape of Animals Procedure
Written Emergency Plan
Site plan of premises
Public Liability Insurance Certificate
List of staff qualifications
Staff training records for each member of staff (including volunteers)
Live vertebrate prey feeding procedure (where live food may need to be fed to reptiles)(reptile sales only)
Dangerous Wild Animals Procedure which covers risk assessments and advising customers of DWA licensing requirements
DBS Certificate
Envenomation Procedure (where venomous Animals are kept/sold)
List of species, quantity, size of animals
Animal accommodation details
Stocking densities per enclosure calculations
For a full checklist of documents, click here.
You can find further guidance available at Pet Sales
Licence renewals
Licence can be valid for one to three years, depending on the standard. You will need to apply to renew your licence at least 3 months before expiry if you want to keep running the business. You will need to complete a Pet Sales Licence Renewal application.
Payments
You will need to pay a fee for your licence. Please make sure you are aware of how much this will cost
You will need a credit or debit card to pay by phone
You will need to provide details of your current insurance for the business
Any personal information which you provide will be held and used by East Devon District Council for the purpose of issuing you with a licence for pet sales and on the basis of public task.
Displaying your licence
You must display your licence or a copy of it at your premises so that it can be read by customers or inspectors.
Complaints
Please see complaints about a licensed premises for animals.
Public register
Animal Licence activities and Establishments
Who will receive or see my personal information?
Your information may also be shared within East Devon District Council for the purposes of carrying out our lawful functions. Otherwise your personal information will not be disclosed to anybody outside East Devon District Council without your permission, unless there is a lawful reason to do so, for example disclosure is necessary for crime prevention or detection purposes. Your information will be held securely and will not be retained for any longer than is necessary. There are a number of rights available to you in relation to our use of your personal information, depending on the reason for processing. Further detail about our use of your personal information can be found in the relevant Privacy Notice.