Pet Shops – Licence Conditions
PET ANIMALS ACT 1951
1.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
1.1 The Licence shall be displayed in a prominent area of the pet shop at all times.
1.2 The shop shall nominate a veterinary surgeon to provide 24 hours veterinary cover for the premises and any
animals likely to be held thereon. Details of the surgery, method of contact and emergency protocols should be
agreed with the veterinary surgeon and displayed in the shop. Furthermore all staff, including part time staff,
should be trained and authorised to contact the veterinary surgeon if any doubt arises as to an animal’s health.
The keeping of exotic animals may, in view of the specialist nature of this group of animals, be subject to
annual inspection by a specialist veterinary surgeon, which will be rechargeable to the premises.
1.3 Sale of Goods Act 1979 (As Amended) and Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and other related
legislation:
(i)
All transactions should be conducted within the terms of these Acts:
The goods must:
- correspond with their description,
have been made up into portions only by use of suitable approved weights and measures
equipment,
- be of satisfactory quality,
- be fit for the purpose,
- be labelled (including constituents or ingredients) in accordance with current legislation.
(ii)
Full and clear information must be given upon request regarding goods, services and livestock.
(iii)
It is suggested that a refund and guarantee policy be prepared by the owner and clearly displayed on
the premises. Copies should be available for every sale. The terms of such a document shall be
inspected by the Council’s Trading Standards Service and their suitability assessed with regard to the
document being of a reasonable nature.
1.4 Smoke Free Legislation (Health Act 2006)
The premises will not be licenced if it fails to comply with the requirements of this Act in respect of signage,
implementation and compliance
2.
ACCOMMODATION OF ANIMALS
2.1 Animals must at all times whether displayed indoors or outdoors, be kept in accommodation suitable with
respect to construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness. Said accomodation will be
approved by the Council at the initial Licence Inspection or by recommendation at subsequent Inspections.
Any proposed changes in housing shall be presented to the Council for approval before such changes are
implemented to ensure the alteration does not constitute a breach of licence conditions.
2.2 Animals must not be exposed to draughts and animals must be kept in an environment suitable to the species.
No animals are to be displayed outdoors.
2.3 Housing must be constructed on non-porous materials or be appropriately treated.
2.4 Animals must not be kept in housing in such a way that they can be interfered with by other animals or the
public. This shall be achieved by correct housing design, security of housing and staff observation so that
interference is not possible.
2.5 All livestock, for sale, must be readily accessible and easy to inspect. No moveable animal enclosure shall be
constructed or situated such that the floor level of the enclosure is of a height whereby it cannot be readily
accessible or inspected. Inspections, i.e. handling both in and out of the cage or housing, shall only be for the
purpose of:
a) cleaning, routine care and observation of health, undertaken only by staff members suitably trained and,
b) ensuring suitability for purchase immediately prior to sale by prospective vendors supervised by staff
members in such a manner so as to prevent escape or unnecessary stress.
2.6 Accommodation must be cleaned as often as necessary to maintain good hygiene standards, consistent with
the rate of stock turnover. This should be at a minimum of:
once daily for all mammalian and bird species
as frequently as required in order to ensure suitable water quality in the case of aquatic species
consistent with good husbandry for reptilian, amphibious or invertebrate species.
Where animals are bred on the premises and are nursing dependant young, less frequent
intervals will be acceptable as agreed with the Inspector
2.7 Where accommodation is on a tiered system, water, food or other droppings must not be allowed to enter the
lower housing.
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2.8 All accessories provided in the accommodation must be suitable for the species.
2.9 Predatory animals should not be housed within sight or smell of prey species.
2.10 Hand washing facilities including hot water and detergent should be provided. Staff should also advise
members of the public who have handled all mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians to wash their hands
before leaving the shop.
2.11 Any puppy and kitten accommodation must meet the licence conditions set by this local authority for animal
boarding establishments.
2.12 Any puppies and kittens must be at least 8 weeks old before sale, and wormed as recommended by a
veterinary surgeon. They must also have received their first vaccination, and the vaccination certificate
handed to the purchasers. If they still on sale when the second vaccination is due, this must also be
administered.
3.
EXERCISE FACILITIES
3.1 Facilities must be available where appropriate.
3.2 No animals should be allowed contact with those of different species or litters or housed in different enclosures
in the course of exercise.
4.
REGISTER OF ANIMALS
4.1 A livestock purchase register, which shall be made available upon demand by an inspector of the local
authority must be maintained for all livestock. A sales register must also be maintained for :
i)
puppies
ii)
kittens
iii)
psittacines
iv)
rabbits and other lagomorphs and guinea pigs
v)
species contained in the Schedule to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (as amended). (This can
be cross-referenced to an invoice file.
vi)
Reptiles
The purpose of the register is to ascertain in the source of livestock and for emergency contact of purchaser.
The register shall contain the name, address and regular telephone number of the purchaser. Additional
contact details such as email or mobile contact details may be included at the discretion of the premises.
4.2 In order to ensure traceability in cases of potential Communicable Zoonotic disease, a register must
mandatorily also be kept for all other avian (bird) and reptilian species, and is recommended for all other
purchases and sales of species not named above.
5.
LEGISLATION
5.1 The premises will conform to the requirements of all national primary and secondary legislation in force at the
time of licensing, including animal welfare, environmental protection and consumer protection legislation.
6.
STOCKING NUMBERS AND DENSITIES
6.1 The maximum numbers of animals to be stocked on the premises will be governed by the accommodation
available, as defined by the stocking density lists cited in the schedules set out below.
6.2 The maximum numbers shown within the attached tables are guidelines and actual numbers held on each
premises will be determined by the Council, and shown in the Pet Shop Licence, after the Initial or Subsequent
Inspections or as circumstances vary. It is the responsibility of the Owner to ensure that at no time are the
maximum stocking levels or densities exceeded. Should stocking within these densities be seen to cause
adverse physical or health effects on stock, lower density stocking levels may be imposed by the Council.
6.3 No animal must be stocked in such a manner or with such other animals where there is a high risk of injury to
that animal or others.
6.4 At the Initial and Subsequent Inspections the Inspecting Officer shall determine suitability of housing for
individual species and/or groups of animals which will be added to the licence. No animal species shall be
stocked unless provision has been made on the licence for that species.
7.
HEALTH, DISEASE AND ACCLIMATISATION
7.1 All stock for sale must be in good health as far as can be reasonably determined without veterinary inspection.
7.2 Any sick or injured animal must receive appropriate care and treatment without delay. (This may include
euthanasia).
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7.3 Any staff member involved in the care or treatment of sick or injured animals on the shop premises must
receive appropriate instruction and be supervised until their competence to carry out that task has been
approved by the shop owner.
7.4 Veterinary advice should be sought whenever necessary.
7.5 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. Any animal exhibiting signs of suffering
must be immediately removed from the sales area, placed in the approved quarantine area and the owner or
veterinary surgeon informed without delay where necessary
7.6 All animals must be allowed a suitable acclimatisation period before sale. This will include a quarantine period
in respect of newly arrived stock, as appropriate to the species, before they are mixed with individuals or
groups already in residence.
7.7 The facility to isolate sick animals must be provided. All sick animals to be removed immediately from sale and
isolated. Isolation and Quarantine facilities must be carefully controlled in terms of staffing and design to
prevent the spread of disease to animals, staff or the general public and must be sufficiently separated from
the main stock area to prevent the spread of airborne infections in species where this is seen to be a
possibility. Staff in charge of caring for quarantined animals must be properly trained and be able to
demonstrate competency in their responsibilities. This provision must be in force at all times animals are in
residence in the quarantine facility, or under treatment for any reason. Suitably trained staff must always be
available to care for such animals especially at weekends and holiday periods.
7.8 All reasonable precautions must be taken to prevent the outbreak and spread of disease. Reasonable
precautions will include the above isolation requirements, staff training in good hygiene, good hygiene practice,
and regular cleaning of cages and tanks. A written policy document must be prepared and staff trained with
regards to its provisions and implementation.
7.9 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. Such animals shall not be offered for sale
unless having received appropriate treatment and free from disease, illness or infestation.
7.10 Puppies and kittens must be kept in the litter group they were weaned in and be kept separate from other
litters or animals of different origins.
7.11 All necessary precautions must be taken to prevent the introduction to the premises, and harbourage, of
rodents, insects and other pests (‘Rodent’ and ‘insect’ excludes livestock for sale or for feeding).
7.12 All live food must be kept suitably contained so as to prevent their escape and the possible infestation of
premises and the surrounding area.
8.
FOOD AND DRINK
8.1 Animals must be supplied with adequate amounts of food and drink, appropriate to their needs, and at suitable
intervals.
8.2 Animals shall receive any supplementary food as required appropriate to species.
8.3 All food must be suitable for the species concerned. Staff shall be given training to ensure that animals receive
and benefit from the correct nutrition offered.
8.4 Food and drink receptacles must be constructed and positioned to prevent faecal contamination.
8.5 A sufficient number of receptacles must be provided and cleaned at regular intervals.
9.
FOOD STORAGE
9.1 All food, excluding live foods, intended for feeding to livestock on the premises, must be stored in impervious
closed containers.
9.2 The containers and equipment used for feeding must be kept in a clean condition and inspected regularly to
prevent the build up of contamination, insect infestation or dirt.
9.3 Human food intended for human consumption of any description must not be stored in the same areas as
animal food (this includes refrigerators and freezers), or prepared for consumption or consumed in areas used
for animal food preparation or in the shop retail areas. Staff must be instructed that at no time may they
consume food intended for animal.
10. OBSERVATION
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10.1 All livestock must be attended to at regular intervals, appropriate to the species. (In no circumstances will this
be less than every 24 hours). In the case of puppies and kittens being stocked or held on the premises, at a
minimum interval of 16 hours.
10.2 Health surveillance of the livestock may require more than visual inspection dependent on the species of
anima. This must be carried out by a suitably trained member of staff able to identify sick animals.
11. EXCRETA AND SOILED BEDDING
11.1 All excreta and soiled bedding must be stored in impervious containers with close fitting lids.
11.2
All excreta, soiled bedding and other refuse shall be removed from the premises, at least weekly, and
disposed of in a manner to the satisfaction of the Council and which satisfies the requirements of the
Environmental Protection Act 1990 and any Regulations made there under.
11.3 All containers must be kept in a clean condition that prevents the build up of smell or possibility of the spread
of disease from the premises.
11.4 A wash hand basin with a potable supply of hot and cold running water to be used exclusively for the washing
of hands must be provided. A suitable supply of bactericidal soap and disposable towels must be provided at
the wash hand basin
12. TRANSPORTATION
12.1When receiving stock, a licensee must make every effort to ensure that it is transported in a suitable manner.
12.2Any livestock received or consigned shall be transported according to the regulations laid down by the Transit
of Animals (General) Order 1973, Welfare of Animals in Transport Order (2006) or other relevant legislation or
recommendations and as subsequently amended.
12.3(For air transportation, the IATA guidelines must be followed).
12.4The Council should be notified within 5 working days following import, of any direct import of animals from
overseas being carried out by the premises
13. TRANSPORTATION CONTAINERS
13.1 Livestock must be transported or handed to purchases in suitable containers.
13.2 The premises must not sell or give away any livestock unless the purchaser has provided or purchased a
suitable container
14. SALE OF LIVESTOCK
14.1 All stock sold must be in good health as far as can be reasonably determined without veterinary inspection.
14.2 No mammal shall be sold unweaned or, if weaned, at an age at which it should not have been weaned.
14.3 In the case of non-mammals, they must be capable of feeding themselves. They must be both capable of
feeding and certified to have been feeding in the shop.
i)
No animal should be sold to any person under the age of 16
15. DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS
15.1
When dangerous wild 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.
15.2 Licensees selling animals on the Schedule to the Dangerous Wild Animal Act should inspect may not sell an
animal included in the Schedule of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act unless they have seen the purchaser’s
licence to keep such an animal and informed the issuing authority of the details of the purchase.
16. PET CARE ADVICE
16.1PTIA Pet Care leaflets 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.
16.2 In the case of puppies, kittens and rabbits, such care leaflets should include specific content on the neutering
and vaccination of such animals, or in the case of this not being contained in the leaflet, additional leaflets
covering these specific subjects will be provided to all purchasers. The Council will advise on suitable sources
of this information.
16.3 Purchasers of accessories should, where necessary, be given proper advice as to be their maintenance and
use.
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16.4 The PTIA Pet Store Manual or other appropriate reference books must always be available for use by staff.
16.5 Staff must be trained and instructed to such a standard that they may be considered competent to advise the
public in such a manner that animals are sold with correct care and handling advice and accessories are sold
with proper regard to their use and suitability for the purpose for which they are intended
16.6The OATA “Traffic Light” system or a substantially similar method of labelling should be in use for labelling all
fish in any premises with 4 or more retail tanks.
17. STAFF TRAINING AND LIVESTOCK KNOWLEDGE
17.1 No animal should be stocked or sold unless the staff (or a member of the staff) is familiar with and able to
demonstrate knowledge of the care and welfare of that animal.
17.2 In respect of new applications, change of licensee, or extensions in the range of species sold, at least one
member of staff regularly working on the licensed premises must hold the City and Guilds Pet Store
Management Certificate, or NVQ Level 1 Animal Care, BTEC National Certificate in Animal Care, or BVNA
Animal Nursing Assistant (ANA) / Veterinary Care Assistant (VCA) course, or similar qualifications of a
comparable or higher standard.
17.3 For staff working in premises which deal only in fish, the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association Advanced
Diploma will suffice. The above qualifications must be obtained within two years should the Licensee require
the range of species be extended.
17.4 The licensee must formulate a written training policy for all permanent staff, and will be required to
demonstrate that systematic training is carried out. During routine Inspections the Council shall determine if
such instruction is being adequately given and monitor the nature of such training so that standards are
maintained to the Council’s requirements. Special note will be taken of unusual or “difficult to keep” pets held
at the shop and the provision of suitable advice on their sale and upkeep given by staff.
18. BOARDING OF ANIMALS
18.1The licensee can only board those species of animals for which they are licensed to sell. Animals boarded
shall not be displayed or accessible to the public unless with the written authority of their owners. Animals are
not allowed to be boarded in the isolation areas of the premises at any time.
NB Boarding of dogs and cats (including puppies and kittens) requires a separate licence under the Animal
Boarding Establishments Act.
19. FIRE AND OTHER EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS
19.1Suitable emergency precautions and written procedures shall exist and be made known to all staff, including
arrangements for evacuation of livestock.
The general maxim of “people first” is good advice.
19.2Entrances and exits must be clear of obstructions at all times.
19.3Fire extinguishers must be provided and sited as approved by the local Fire Protection/Prevention Officer.
19.4The fire-fighting equipment must be maintained in good working order and be routinely examined by
19.5The licensee, or a designated keyholder, must at all times be within reasonable distance of the premises and
available to visit the premises in case of emergency.
19.6A list of keyholders must be lodged with the local police and fire brigade.
19.7 An emergency telephone number must be displayed at the front of the shop: this may either be the keyholder’s
number or the emergency telephone no. 999.
19.8When pet shops are sited within other premises, the licensee or keyholders must have access at all times to
the premises containing the livestock.
20. DETERMINATION AND DURATION OF LICENCE
20.1 In accordance with the controlling national legislation, licenses run for one calendar year. Any licence issued
during the period from 1st January to 31ST December will be deemed to terminate on the 31st of December of
the same year. The standard annual fee is payable
20.2The provisions of the Pet Animals Act 1951 (as amended in 1983) do not permit the Council to issue a licence
to temporary events or any venue deemed to be a public place.
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20.3 The council reserves the right to outsource inspection in the case of any specialist or difficult-to-keep species.
This may include engaging a specialist veterinary surgeon. This will be at the expense of the applicant
premises.
20.4Licences will normally be determined within 28 days of the date of receipt by the council of the application. Any
late applications may not be able to be determined in sufficient time for the start of the next Licensing year and
as such trading is not permitted until such time a licence is issued.
20.5 Transfer of business: The Licence is a personal one issued to both the Applicant and the Premises. As such,
at the point of sale of the business, the Licence immediately becomes cancelled and must be reapplied for by
the purchaser. This will be treated as a new application and no retrospective rights will apply.
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SCHEDULE 1 STOCKING DENSITIES – CAGED BIRDS
Length
(cm)
Floor Area
(Sq.cm)
single
Parrots, Parakeets, Budgerigars, etc.
African Grey:
1250
Amazon
Budgerigar
Cockatiel
Cockatoo
Lovebird
Macaw
Finch
(incl.
Mannikin)
Silverbill
Sparrow Waxbill
Grossbeak
Softbills
Barber
Bulbil
Fruitsucker, Fairy
Bluebird, Oriole
Jay, Jay-thrush
(Laughing thrush)
Magpie
Mynah hill
Pekin
Robin,
Mesia
Length
(cm)
Floor
Area
(Sq.cm)
single
Up to 25
25-35
over 35
Up to 30
30-35
Over 35
1000
1000
1400
800
1250
1500
200
250
450
275
625
750
Up to 22.5
22.5-30
Over 30
400
450
800
1250
2000
200
250
250
375
500
Quail
Up to 15
15-20
Over 20
450
650
1000
250
375
500
Weaver
Up to 15
Over 15
650
1000
150
200
Whydah (male with full
tail)
Up to 40
Over 40
1000
2000
200
275
Parakeet (incl. Conure.
Kakariki, Rosella)
500
625
750
200
250
625
1000
1350
Parrot (incl. Caique,
Pronus)
Senegal Meyers
Up to 35
35-40
Over 40
1000
1250
2000
650
1000
1250
2000
2750
Up to 40
40-60
Over 60
750
1250
2250
3750
200
625
1000
1200
650
250
Up to 22.5
Over 22.5
Up to 12.5
1000
450
1250
650
250
250
625
100
12.5-17.5
Over 17.5
750
1000
150
200
1000
200
Female & male in non-breeding plumage as Weaver.
Up to 20
Over 20
1250
1450
1000
1250
275
450
250
250
Starling (incl. Small
mynahs)
Tanager, Sugar bird
Up to 25
25-35
Over 35
1500
2000
4000
1500
1000
250
500
1000
250
200
Thrush (incl. Shama)
Toucan
Toucanette, Aracari
Tlouraco
Zosterops
Up to 35
35-40
Over 40
Parrotlet
Hanging Parrot
Lories and Lorikeets
Up to 20
Over 20
1000
1500
1000
250
375
250
1000
3750
2000
2000
750
375
1000
625
625
100
NB: All birds should be housed in accommodation, which allows the full spreading of wings.
SCHEDULE 2 STOCKING DENSITIES – SMALL MAMMALS
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Each
Additional
625
Seedeaters
Canary
Cardinal
Dove and Pigeon
Each
Additional
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Species
Minimum Floor Area *
(Sq cm)
Single
Minimum
Cage
Height (cm)
Species
Minimum Floor Area *
(Sq cm)
Single
20
Guinea Pigs
700
Each
Additional
175
Minimum
Cage
Height (cm)
Mice
200
Each
Additional
50
Hamsters
300
75
20
Rabbits
2000
500
50
Gerbils
300
75
20
Kittens
2000
500
50
Rats
500
125
20
Puppies
10000
2500
50
20
* Minimum floor areas apply to young stock. For adult stock offered for sale the dimensions should
be doubled. For advice on the age of the stock, you are advised to contact the veterinary surgeon.
NB: The range of behavioural opportunities, for many of the animals listed in the above Schedule will
be increased by enriching the environment with such accessories as shredded paper, pieces of
wood, toilet rolls, lengths of piping etc.
The installation of shelving in rabbit cages is particularly beneficial as they like to spend a lot of
time, off the cage floor.
SCHEDULE 3 STOCKING DENSITIES – ORNAMENTAL FISH
It is virtually impossible to determine the quantity of fish to be kept in a tank purely on
weight/volume or numbers of fish/volume. The variation in system design, husbandry techniques
and types of fish involved would render any such method too simple to be useful or too complicated
to be practical. The maintenance of water quality standards is essential and is a simple but effective
way to determine stocking densities.
“Bare tank” setups for indoor ornamental fish will not be acceptable for licensing purposes as these
contravene the provisions of Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
WATER QUALITY CRITERIA (1mg/litre – 1ppm)
Cold Water
* Dissolved Oxygen
-min
6mg/litre
*Free Ammonia
-max
0.02mg/litre
Nitrite
Nitrate
-max
-max
0.2mg/litre
50mg/litre above
tapwater
ambient
Tropical Fish
* Dissolved Oxygen
*Free Ammonia
ambient
-min
-max
6mg/litre
0.02mg/litre
Nitrite
Nitrate
-max
-max
0.2mg/litre
50mg/litre
tapwater
Tropical Marine Species
*Dissolved Oxygen
-min
*Free Ammonia
-max
5.5mg/litre
0.01mg/litre
Nitrite
Nitrate
-max
-max
0.125mg/litre
40mg/litre.
This
is
an
absolute figure; it does not
relate to ambient tapwater
* ph (tropical marine)
8.1
Min
aove
*These parameters should be checked first. Only if a problem exists with these tests is it necessary
to check nitrite and nitrate levels.
SCHEDULE 4 STOCKING DENSITIES – OTHER SPECIES
Accommodation must be provided appropriate to size, age and type of species
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