Animal Boarding

o run a boarding kennel or cattery, in South Ayrshire you need a licence from the Council. The number of dogs and cats that may be accommodated will be specified on the licence along with other specific conditions.

South Ayrshire Council may authorise an officer, veterinary surgeon or practitioner to inspect licensed premises.

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

keeping an animal boarding establishment
keeping a pet shop under the Pet Animals Act 1951
keeping animals under the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954
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 under the Animals Welfare Act 2006
owning, keeping, dealing in or transporting animals under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. In Scotland an applicant must also not be disqualified from working with, using, driving or riding animals, providing services to animals that would involve taking possession of them, taking possession of an animal to carry out any of the activities listed or taking charge of animals for any other purpose

How to apply

Applications can be downloaded and printed or completed on-screen. The application must be lodged with Environmental Health & Trading Standards, 5-9 River Terrace, Ayr, KA8 0BJ by post or by emailing your completed application to environmental.health@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

Debit/Credit Card payments can be made by calling 0300 123 0900 and asking for Environmental Health. Office hours are Monday - Thursday 9:00am til 4.45pm and Friday 9:00am til 4pm.

Applications will not be processed until Environmental Health are in receipt of the fee - Fees and charges - South Ayrshire Council (south-ayrshire.gov.uk)

Animal Boarding licence renewal

Commercial Day Boarding licence renewal

Home Boarding licence renewal

What happens next?

Before considering an application South Ayrshire Council must have received all the required supporting documentation before the application is considered lodged.

The following criteria will be considered when the application is being evaluated:

That the animals will be kept in suitable accommodation at all times. Suitable accommodation takes into account the construction and size of the accommodation, the number of animals to be housed in it, facilities for exercising the animals, cleanliness and temperature, lighting and ventilation provisions
That suitable food, drink and bedding materials will be provided and that the animals are exercised and visited regularly
That steps are taken to prevent and control the spread of disease among the animals and that isolation facilities are in place
That adequate protection is provided to the animals in the case of fire and other emergencies
That a register is kept. The register should contain a description of all animals received, their arrival and departure date and the name and address of the owner. The register should be available to be inspected at any time by a local authority officer, veterinary surgeon or practitioner

It is in the public interest that the South Ayrshire Council must process your application before it can be granted. We would expect to process your application within 15 working days. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable period, please contact us.

Will Tacit Consent apply?

In the interests of animal welfare, there is no automatic granting of a licence should we fail to respond to you. Tacit Consent does not apply.

What if I have been refused approval?

Please contact South Ayrshire Council using the contact details below in the first instance.

Any applicant who is refused a licence can appeal to their local Sheriff.

Any licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition attached to their licence can also appeal to their local Sheriff.

Consumer complaints

If you wish to complain about a licence holder please call Customer Services on 0300 123 0900 and ask for Environmental Health, or email Environmental.Health@south-ayrshire.gov.uk