TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Do I need a license?
- If you are already licensed
- I am not required to hold a breeding licence, but my account was upgraded
- What do I do if I find a user who I believe needs a license?
Do I need a license?
From 1st October 2018 the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into effect. It is your legal requirement and responsibility to check your licensing requirements with your local council.
Finding a Local Council's Requirements
You can use the Find Your Local Council webpage to check the requirements within your local authority, and find the contact details needed to discuss any concerns further with your council.
If you are already licensed
If you have an animal activities license, please update your account details to include your license details and an uploaded image of your license.
How do I add or update my license details?
If you hold a valid Animals Activities License, you will be labelled as a licensed breeder, which will be visible on all of your adverts and on your public profile.
- Change your account type to "Breeder" if not already done.
- On your account page, go to the "Licence" section.
- If you hold a valid Animal Activities License, tick the box.
- Fill in the details about your license.
- Upload a clear photo of your license as an image or PDF - this is something Pets4Homes require for our records to validate your status as a Licensed Breeder. Please note that the photo of your license will not be visible to the public.
What if I have not received my licence details yet?
Please update your account details to show that you have a license and use "TBC" as the license number if you do not yet know the expiration date. The expiry can be set for 3 months, but this will need to be updated when you receive the license. We also require a copy of the license for our records once you have received it - Please upload an image of it on your account page in the "License" section. If you have a license on the way, please send us an email with your new license details and/or a confirmation email from your council.
I am not required to hold a breeding licence, but my account was upgraded
Whilst you may not require a breeding license from your local council, all advertisers placing three or more adverts for separate animals/litters within a 12-month period need to change their account type to "Breeder" on Pets4Homes. If the account holder does not do this themselves, then Pets4Homes may do this on your behalf at our own discretion. See details on our different account types and instructions for how to change your account type here.
What do I do if I find a user who I believe needs a license?
If you come across a user on the site that you believe might need a license to advertise, you should immediately record the Advert ID on one of their listings and/or the link to their user profile.
If you are an authority, please send us a signed Data Processing Agreement (DPA) to receive the information we have on file. If you have already decided that a seller requires a breeding licence and they are advertising without one, please let us know so we can take immediate action.
If you are another user, please see this page. We work closely with local councils and the RSPCA, and we respond quickly to any formal requests for information.