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What is a Pet Shop?A pet shop is defined as a place where animals are sold or offered for sale, exchange, or transfer.
Where do I apply for a Pet Shop Licence?
Anyone who runs a business selling pets must be licensed by their Local Authority under the terms of The Pet Animals Act 1951
(as amended). When an application has been accepted and the appropriate fee paid, the Environmental Health Department will
arrange for an inspection to be carried out before a licence is granted. Inspections are carried out in conjunction with
a consultant Veterinary Surgeon.
You can apply for a Pet Shop Licence by telephoning Wyre Forest District Council on 01562 732928 or alternatively, download
an Application for a Licence to keep a pet shop  (74K).
Before being granted a licence the applicant must be able to demonstrate to the Council’s Licensing Inspector:
- that they are suitably qualified to keep animals with regard to the type and number proposed to be kept
- that the animals will be kept in accommodation that is suitable in respect of construction, size, temperature, lighting,
ventilation and cleanliness
- that the animals will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding materials and (so far as is necessary)
visited at suitable intervals
- that mammals will not be sold at too early an age
- that all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of infectious disease amongst animals
- that appropriate steps will be taken to protect the animals in the case of fire or other emergency, including the provision
of suitable fire fighting equipment
- that a register containing a description of any animal received on the premises, the animals age and sex, the date of
acquisition and departure and the source from which the animals are received, 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
- no animal will be sold to a child under the age of 12 years.
Where a licence is granted, that licence and any subsequent licence will expire on the 31st December of the year to which
it relates and must be renewed before that date if premises are to continue as a pet shop.
Each licence is subject to standard conditions that are imposed on all pet shops licensed by the Council. In addition to
the standard conditions, a licence may also contain special conditions that are only applicable to your premises. A licence
may be refused or withheld on other grounds if those grounds are such that conditions are not suitable for the keeping of
animals.
The following offences and penalties apply to Pet Shops:
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Any person found guilty of keeping a pet shop without a licence may be subject to a fine not exceeding £500 or to three
months imprisonment or both.
- Any person found guilty of failing to comply with their licence conditions may be subject to a fine not exceeding
£500 or to three months imprisonment or both.
- Any person found guilty of obstructing or delaying an Inspector, or authorised Veterinary Surgeon or Veterinary Practitioner
in the exercising of their powers of entry may be fined up to a maximum of £500.
If found guilty under this Act, the defendant’s licence may be cancelled and they may be disqualified from keeping a Pet Shop
for such length of time as the Court thinks fit.
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