Hello,
I am a happy owner of four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and I do dog walking in my local area as well as other pet sitting.
I have had many enquiries about doggie day care and I am insured to do this, but I do not know if I need licencing. I know that if a dog stays overnight, I definitely need a licence. The owners are providing the dog's own food, if it needs a meal during the day.
I have contacted my local council but am still awaiting a response. I have researched the internet and for some councils you need a licence and for others you don't, so I am very confused.
Hope you can help,
Claire, by email
Just ask your local council whether a licence is required or not.
ReplyDeleteAs a point of interest if you are offering home dog boarding/day care some councils restrict the number of dogs that you have as guest .... however if you don't charge you can have as many guests as you want.
ReplyDeleteCouncils that do charge a licence do so from Jan 1 to Jan 1, so if you were to apply for a licence now (Sept) you would have to renew the licence in January - some might call this a rip off ....
Every council is different in what it licences, I've heard of some not even issuing licences to home boarders! Some say you don't need one to daycare, some say you need two - one for daycare and one for home boarding! So no-one can really help except your local council.
ReplyDeleteThe law says 'boarding' which I looked up in the dictionary - eating or staying overnight seems to be the definition of 'boarding'.
I also use a private field with a small hall for my daycare, so when I've got more dogs booked in than my licence allows in my home, we go out there for the day - the council aren't interested in licensing my field and hall under those circumstances, although apparently if I advertise it and use it as a daycare centre and don't bring the dogs home at all, they'd want to licence it.
I've heard of a dog walker who was banned from home boarding be allowed to keep offering daycare because the dogs were only in his home (so he said) for his convenience between two walks, the owners were not paying for daycare, but the two walks.
Double check with your insurance company if they will cover you if you don't have a licence, because that will also have an impact on whether you need a licence or not.
Hi Linda, thanks for that comprehensive reply. I have contacted my local council, though their website and they emailed me back with a link to their website!!! I re-contacted them this week but am still awaiting a reply. I am insured to have boarders, but I will check if they need me to be licence, that is really good advice.
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