Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963

No person shall keep a boarding establishment for animals in Wales except under the authority of a licence granted in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Every local authority may, on application being made to them for that purpose by a person who is not for the time being disqualified— and on payment of such fee . . . as may be determined by the local authority, grant a licence to that person to keep a boarding establishment for animals at such premises in their area as may be specified in the application and subject to compliance with such conditions as may be specified in the licence.

In determining whether to grant a licence for the keeping of a boarding establishment for animals by any person at any premises, a local authority shall in particular (but without prejudice to their discretion to withhold a licence on other grounds) have regard to the need for securing— and shall specify such conditions in the licence, if granted by them, as appear to the local authority necessary or expedient in the particular case for securing all the objects specified in paragraphs (a) to (e) of this subsection.

Where a person is for the time being disqualified under section 28F(1) and (2) of the Animal Health Act 1981 (c. 22) , or section 40(1) and (2) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 11) , notwithstanding subsection (2), a local authority shall not grant a licence to keep a boarding establishment for animals to that person.

Any person aggrieved by the refusal of a local authority to grant such a licence, or by any condition subject to which such a licence is proposed to be granted, may appeal to a magistrates’ court; and the court may on such an appeal give such directions with respect to the issue of a licence or, as the case may be, with respect to the conditions subject to which a licence is to be granted as it thinks proper.

Any such licence shall (according to the applicant’s requirements) relate to the year in which it is granted or to the next following year. In the former case, the licence shall come into force at the beginning of the day on which it is granted, and in the latter case it shall come into force at the beginning of the next following year.

Subject to the provisions hereinafter contained with respect to cancellation, any such licence shall remain in force until the end of the year to which it relates and shall then expire.

In the event of the death of a person who is keeping a boarding establishment for animals at any premises under the authority of a licence granted under this Act, that licence shall be deemed to have been granted to his personal representatives in respect of those premises and shall, notwithstanding subsection (6) of this section (but subject to the provisions hereinafter contained with respect to cancellation), remain in force until the end of the period of three months beginning with the death and shall then expire: Provided that the local authority by whom the licence was granted may from time to time, on the application of those representatives, extend or further extend the said period of three months if the authority are satisfied that the extension is necessary for the purpose of winding up the deceased’s estate and that no other circumstances make it undesirable.

Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence; and if any condition subject to which a licence is granted in accordance with the provisions of this Act is contravened or not complied with, the person to whom the licence was granted shall be guilty of an offence.

In the application of this section to Scotland, in subsection (4) for any reference to a magistrates’ court there shall be substituted a reference to the sheriff.

A local authority may authorise in writing any of its officers or any veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner to inspect (subject to compliance with such precautions as the authority may specify to prevent the spread among animals of infectious or contagious diseases) any premises in their area as respects which a licence granted in accordance with the provisions of this Act is for the time being in force, and any person authorised under this section may, on producing his authority if so required, enter any such premises at all reasonable times and inspect them and any animals found thereon or any thing therein, for the purpose of ascertaining whether an offence has been or is being committed against this Act.

Any person who wilfully obstructs or delays any person in the exercise of his powers of entry or inspection under this section shall be guilty of an offence.

Any person guilty of an offence under any provision of this Act other than the last foregoing section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

Any person guilty of an offence under the last foregoing section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

Where a person is convicted of any offence under this Act or of any offence under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 or the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912 or the Pet Animals Act 1951, or of any offence under any of sections 4, 5, 6(1) and (2), 7 to 9 and 11 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the court by which he is convicted may cancel any licence held by him under this Act, and may, whether or not he is the holder of such a licence, disqualify him from keeping a boarding establishment for animals for such period as the court thinks fit.

A court which has ordered the cancellation of a person’s licence, or his disqualification, in pursuance of the last foregoing subsection may, if it thinks fit, suspend the operation of the order pending an appeal.

Where a person is convicted of any offence under sections 28C or 28F(16) of the Animal Health Act 1981 (c. 22) , ... sections 19 to 24, 25(7), 29 or 40(11) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 11) or regulation 23 of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, the court by which he is convicted has the same powers under subsections (3) and (4) in relation to such convictions as it has in relation to convictions for offences under this Act.

References in this Act to the keeping by any person of a boarding establishment for animals shall, subject to the following provisions of this section, be construed as references to the carrying on by him at premises of any nature (including a private dwelling) of a business of providing accommodation for other people’s animals: Provided that—

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:—

This Act may be cited as the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963.

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This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

This Act shall come into operation on 1st January 1964.