Pet Shop Licence Conditions
Legislation and Guidance
Pet Animals Act 1951
Pet Animals (Amendment) Act 1983
1.0 LICENCE DISPLAY
1.1 The licence, or a copy of the licence, must
be suitably displayed in a prominent position. It shall not display
the licence holder's home address.
2.0 Accommodation
2.1 Animals must at all times be kept in
accommodation suitable to their species with respect to
construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation and
cleanliness.
2.2 Animals must be kept in an environment
suitable to the species. They must not be exposed to draughts and
wide temperature fluctuations. If animals are displayed outdoors,
they shall have protection appropriate to their species.
2.3 All accommodation must be kept in good
repair.
2.4 Housing must be constructed of non-porous materials or be
appropriately treated.
2.5 In order to control the spread of disease
and to prevent injury, animals must not be kept in housing in such
a way that they can be disturbed by other animals or the
public.
2.6 All livestock, for sale, must be readily
accessible and easy to inspect, with cages sited so that the floor
of the cage is easily visible.
2.7 Accommodation must be cleaned as often as
necessary to maintain good hygiene standards.
2.8 Where accommodation is on a tiered system,
water, food or other droppings must not be allowed to enter the
lower housing.
2.9 All accessories provided in the
accommodation must be suitable for the species.
3.0 Exercise Facilities
3.1 Suitable and sufficient facilities must be
available where appropriate for the species. For puppies, where
required, a covered exercise area of at least 2.46m² should be
provided. The area should have a minimum height of 1.8m to allow
access by staff for cleaning.
4.0 Register of Animals
4.1 A livestock purchase register must be
maintained to determine the source of livestock. All livestock
purchases must be entered and the entry must include:-
(i) the name and address of the person or
organisation who supplied the livestock.
(ii) details of the type and numbers of livestock.
(iii) the date of delivery to the premises.
To simplify the livestock purchase register,
entries may be cross referenced to a general invoice file for the
premises, if the invoice contains the above information.
4.2 A sales register must be maintained
for:
(i) Puppies
(ii) Kittens
(iii) Psittacines (parrots and parakeets)
(iv) Species contained in the Schedule to the Dangerous Wild
Animals Act 1976 (as modified)
The purpose of the sales register is to enable
the purchaser to be contacted in the event of an emergency, for
example if the animal is suspected of being diseased. The name and
address and telephone number of the purchaser should be
recorded.
5.0 Stocking Numbers and Densities
5.1 The maximum numbers of animals to be
stocked on the premises will be determined by the accommodation
available. These are defined by the stocking density lists for
caged birds, small mammals and ornamental fish and other species
which are detailed in the tables at the end of these licence
conditions.
No other animals other than those specified in
the licence, may be stocked without prior written approval from the
licensing authority.
6.0 Health, Disease and Acclimatisation
6.1 All stock for sale must be in good health
and free from obvious parasitic infestation as far as can be
reasonably determined without veterinary inspection.
6.2 Any sick or injured animal must receive
appropriate care and treatment without delay Inexperienced staff
must not treat sick animals unless under appropriately experienced
supervision. 'Care & Treatment' may include euthanasia but
under no circumstances may an animal be euthanased other than in a
humane and effective manner. In case of doubt, veterinary advice
must be sought.
6.3 All animals must receive appropriate
inoculations where required for the species as advised by the
veterinary surgeon. Veterinary advice must be sought whenever
necessary.
6.4 Any animal with an obvious, significant
abnormality which would materially affect its quality of life, must
not be offered for sale. When in doubt, veterinary advice should be
sought.
6.5 All animals must be allowed a suitable
acclimatisation period before sale.
6.6 The facility to isolate sick animals must
be provided. A procedure to deal with sick animals is required. For
ornamental fish, in-line treatment or other sterilising devices
effectively provide a means of isolating individual tanks in
multiple tank systems. They must be of proper size and maintained
in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations.
6.7 All reasonable precautions must be taken to
prevent the outbreak and spread of disease. No animal which is
suffering from or could reasonably be suspected of having come into
contact with any other animal suffering from any infectious or
contagious disease, or which is infested with parasites, shall be
brought into or kept on the premises unless effectively
isolated.
6.8 Individual litters of puppies and kittens
must be kept separate from other litters.
6.9 All necessary precautions must be taken to
prevent the introduction to the premises, and harbourage of
rodents, insects and other pests (excluding livestock for sale or
for feeding).
7.0 Food and Drink
7.1 Animals must be supplied with adequate
amounts of food and drink, appropriate to their needs, and at
suitable intervals.
7.2 All food must be suitable for the species
concerned.
7.3 Food and drink receptacles must be
constructed and positioned to minimise faecal contamination and
spillage.
7.4 A sufficient number of receptacles must be
provided and cleaned at regular intervals.
7.5 All food (excluding live foods) intended
for feeding to livestock on the premises, must be stored in
impervious closed containers.
7.6 The containers and equipment used for
feeding must be kept in a clean and sound condition.
8.0 Observation
8.1 All livestock must be attended to at
regular intervals, appropriate to the species. In no circumstances
should this be less than daily. Suitable arrangements must be made
for days when the premises is closed. It is recommended that a
system of recording visits is maintained.
9.0 Excreta and Soiled Bedding
9.1 All excreta and soiled bedding must be kept
in a hygienic manner and stored in impervious containers with close
fitting lids away from direct sunlight.
9.2 Excreta and soiled bedding must be removed
from the premises on a regular basis, at least weekly, and disposed
of to the satisfaction of the appropriate local authority.
9.3 All containers must be kept in a clean
condition.
10.0 Transportation
10.1 When receiving stock, the licensee must
make every effort to ensure that it is transported in a suitable
manner. It is recommended to record the registration number of
vehicles transporting livestock.
10.2 Any livestock received or consigned shall
be transported according to regulations laid down in current
legislation, such as the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order
1997.
10.3 Livestock must be transported or handed to
purchasers in suitable containers.
11.0 Sale of Livestock
11.1 No mammal shall be sold unweaned or, if
weaned, at an age at which it should not have been weaned.
11.2 In the case of non-mammals, they must be
capable of feeding themselves.
11.3 No animal shall be sold to any person
under the age of 12 years.
11.4 No animal should be sold to any person
under the age of 16 years who is unknown to the retailer unless
that person is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or
provides appropriate written consent. Sales to a juvenile less than
16 years (but over 12 years) of age who is known to the retailer
can be carried out in the absence of a parent or legal guardian or
appropriate written consent, provided that the retailer is
satisfied as far as possible that:-
(i) the parent/guardian would not object to the
acquisition;
(ii) the juvenile is sufficiently knowledgeable as to the needs,
care and nature of the species acquired;
12.0 Dangerous Wild Animals
12.1 When dangerous animals are kept, the cages
must be of a secure construction appropriate to the species. A fine
wire mesh, glass or plastic safety barrier must be incorporated
into the cage system.
The local authority must be notified of any
intention that the pet shop wishes to offer for sale any dangerous
wild animal.
12.2 Licensees selling animals on the Schedule
to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act must inspect the purchaser's
licence to keep such an animal and inform the issuing authority of
the details of the purchase.
13.0 Pet Care Advice
13.1 Pet Care leaflets (e.g. leaflets produced
by the Pet Care Trust) or other similar written instructions must
be made available free of charge to customers at the time of
purchase, in addition to any offer to purchase pet care books or
leaflets.
13.2 Purchasers must be given proper advice on
the care of the animal and, where necessary, on the maintenance and
use of any accessories.
13.3 Appropriate reference books (e.g. The Pet
Care Manual produced by the Pet Care Trust) relating to all species
for sale must always be available at the premises for use by
staff.
14.0 Staff Training
14.1 No animal should be stocked or sold unless
the staff (or a member of the staff) is familiar with the care and
welfare of that animal and has a recognised qualification or
suitable experience.
14.2 In respect of new applications (not
renewals), at least one member of staff working at the licensed
premises must hold the City and Guilds Pet Store Management
Certificate, or some other appropriate qualification; or must be in
the course of training and obtain the qualification within two
years of the licence being granted.
14.3 The licensee must formulate a written
training policy for all permanent staff, and demonstrate that
systematic training is carried out.
15.0 Fire and other Emergency Precautions
15.1 Suitable emergency precautions and written
procedures shall exist and be made known to all staff, including
arrangements for evacuation of livestock.
15.2 Entrances and exits must be clear of
obstructions at all times.
15.3 Suitable fire fighting equipment must be
provided, maintained and regularly serviced by a competent person
and sited as advised by the local Fire Protection/Prevention
Officer and in consultation with the local authority.
15.4 The licensee, or a designated key-holder,
must at all times be within reasonable distance of the premises and
available to visit the premises is case of emergency. (Reasonable
distance can be considered as 20 minutes travelling time).
15.5 A list of key-holders must be lodged with
the Environmental Health Department at Allerdale Borough
Council.
15.6 An emergency telephone number must be
displayed at the front of the shop this may either be the
key-holder's number or the emergency telephone number 999.
15.7 When pet shops are sited within other
premises, the licensee or key-holders must have access at all times
to the premises containing the livestock.
15.8 All electrical installations and
appliances must be maintained in a safe condition.
16.0 Premises
16.1 Walls and floors must be finished with a
non-absorbent surface so that they can be easily cleaned.
16.2 A sink with a constant supply of hot water
must be provided. This must be in addition to any wash hand basin.
Procedures must be in place to keep equipment provided for human
use stored and cleaned entirely separately from livestock
equipment.
17.0 Boarding of Animals
17.1 No pet shop should be used for the purpose
of boarding any species of animal for which they are not licensed
to sell. If it is intended to board cats and dogs, suitable and
sufficient accommodation must be provided and the appropriate
licence obtained.
18.0 Licence Variation
18.1 Once the annual licence has been granted,
if the licensee wishes to stock species of animals not detailed on
the licence, they must inform the Environmental Health Department
and receive approval for the variation.