OBLIGATIONS AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR RESCUES AND REHOMING ORGANISATIONS  – MANAGING A CHARITY

Dog Kennels and Home Boarding

All kennels should hold an animal boarding establishment licence (which is renewed annually).

DAERA is responsible for licensing animal boarding premises.

To obtain a licence to run a kennel staff must hold suitable qualifications or have relevant experience to run an animal boarding establishment.

Applicants also must demonstrate that the animals they look after are:

·      kept in suitable accommodation

·      provided with adequate food, drink, and bedding

·      regularly exercised

·      safeguarded in an emergency (for example fire evacuation procedures)

·      protected from infectious disease – this includes providing isolation facilities

The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) may inspect premises before granting a licence. They can also undertake ‘spot checks’ at any time after the licence is granted to check that the kennels is meeting health, safety and animal welfare standards.

Currently home boarding cannot be licenced in Northern Ireland, licences available here are for kennels where dogs are kept in a purpose-built accommodation away from a family home. This means that any home-boarders advertising their services are currently unlicenced and so may not be fully insured for the services they provide.

Law:

Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 1972.

Animal Boarding Establishments Regulations (NI) 1974.

Licensing:

Rescues appear to be exempt from the requirement to licence dogs although adopters should have obtained and produce a dog licence for that dog before they take their adopted dog home.[S[1] 

What happens if I or my organisation break the law?

If you allow an adopter to you or your organisation shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.

Law:

The Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983, as amended, section 20.

 [S[1]this is a real grey area re foster based models. Basically you are exempt if care is transitory but ofc no periods are specified. so I guess it would be good practice to licence dogs in medium to long term foster but difficult to ascertain what the actual legal position is…