Under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, anyone wanting to board animals commercially must obtain a licence from their local council. The Act requires councils to ensure that the business in question observes certain conditions regarding the suitability of the accommodation provided and the welfare of the animals boarded. To assist councils in doing this the CIEH convened a working party of animal welfare and industry experts in the early 1990s to draw up some model licence conditions and guidance. Councils do not have to use the CIEH model licence conditions but many of them do.
The model licence conditions cover things such as the recommended size of the units, cleanliness of the premises, food and drink provision, rules on supervision, infection control and so on. There is a similar document covering cat boarding establishments.
Please note that this guidance was originally published in 1995 and therefore does not take account of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. However the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 to which it relates is still in force and thus the standards remain valid. The Government will in due course be reviewing the rules governing animal boarding establishments but there is no indication at this stage as to when this will be. Many local councils will therefore continue to use the CIEH Model Licence Conditions and Guidance when issuing licences.