Duties, Appeals, Offences & Penalties
Council Duties
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 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 the 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.
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.
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.
Your Right of Appeal
Any person aggrieved by a refusal to be granted a licence or
by any conditions to which a licence is subject may appeal to the
Magistrates Court and they may give such directions regarding the
licence or its conditions as they think proper.
Offences and Penalties
The following offences and penalties apply to the pet
shops.
- 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.