Licences for animals
Pages in Licences for animals
- 1. Licences for animals
- 2. How to apply for an animal licence
- 3. Inspections
- 4. You are here: Star rating and duration of licences
- 5. Exotic, dangerous or wild animals
4. Star rating and duration of licences
Inspection findings will be fed into the scoring matrix below, which determines both the licence duration, and star rating given to a business. The length of the licence will vary from one to three years - with the exception of keeping/training animals for exhibition, which must be granted for three years. All application costs remain the same regardless of the licence length, thereby encouraging improvements in sector standards and rewarding compliant businesses.
| Welfare standards | Minor failings | Minimum standards | Higher standards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low risk |
1 Star (1 year licence) |
3 Star (2 year licence) |
5 Star (3 year licence) |
| Higher risk |
1 Star (1 year licence) |
2 Star (1 year licence) |
4 Star (2 year licence) |
Welfare standards
Will be based on officer observations and assessment of the environment in which the animals are kept, records provided etc. For each activity (except keeping or training animals for exhibition) a number of “higher standards” have been set. Meeting the higher standards is optional but is the only way to gain the highest star rating. The higher standards are classified into two colour coded categories – blue required and red optional. To qualify as meeting the higher standards the business must achieve all the blue required standards as well as a minimum of 50% of the red optional standards
Risk
Will be largely based on the history of compliance of the business, and also upon the licence holder's appreciation of hazards and risks.
Existing operators will be risk rated against a standard 14 point criteria checklist and scoring system. A score of 17 or less will result in a low risk rating and 18 or more in a high risk rating. New businesses with no history of compliance, or UKAS accredited scheme, must automatically be assessed as ‘Higher risk'.
- Risk Scoring Form (DOCX)
Following the inspection, the applicant will be provided with supportive information (the inspection reports) which will highlight the inspecting officer’s decision on how the risk rating, compliance level and star rating has been determined.
If an applicant is not satisfied with the score awarded, they should initially discuss the matter with the inspecting officer where possible. Any appeal must be made in writing within 21 days and will be assessed and determined by an appointed manager within the Department. If the business disagrees with the outcome of the appeal they can challenge the decision by means of judicial review.
An applicant can also make improvements to address highlighted issues and then ask for a re-inspection or re-rating on a chargeable basis following the completion of works.
Advice on star ratings for the public
A premise with a lower star rating is not necessarily a premise to avoid as there are other factors that have to be considered, such as the length of time the licence holder has been operating. Some older premises will not be able to attain a five-star rating due to the way they were originally designed
New businesses without UKAS accreditation, will automatically be assessed as a higher risk simply because there is no history of good practice that can be considered.
DEFRA has encouraged Councils to maintain a list of licensed businesses and their associated ratings on their websites. The Council intends to make this information available in the near future on this webpage.