Home boarding for cats and dogs

1. The licence

Home boarding establishments are licensed as part of the Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963. These establishments are usually where one or two animals are cared for in another person’s home as a family pet, and as part of a business.

Before making an application you should read through the DEFRA guidance notes below. It provides general and specific licence conditions that are attached to the licence and information on how to meet each required standard.

Animal boarding falls into 3 separate categories:

• Guidance notes for boarding dogs in kennels 2018 (PDF 320Kb)
• Guidance notes for home boarding dogs 2018 (PDF 460Kb)
• Guidance notes for home boarding cats 2018 (940Kb)

How to apply

To apply for a home boarders licence you must read the Conditions for boarding cats and dogs (PDF 153Kb) before you download and complete the form below

There is an application fee which you must be pay when you make your application. You can find full details on our fees page.

How to pay

You can send a cheque for the cost of the licence enclosed with your application form to

Licensing Team
Environmental Health and Trading Standards
Fred Perry House
Edward Street
Stockport
SK1 3XE

Or you can email your application to licensing@stockport.gov.uk.

The inspection

Before we grant a licence, we’ll carry out an inspection at your premises to make sure you meet the current requirements. Officers may be accompanied by a vet. Where the inspection does not meet the current requirements, you’ll be issued with a compliance notice and a revisit will be carried out. Where the visit does meet the requirements, we’ll determine the application and usually issue a licence with a star rating of up to 5 stars and 3 years in length.