Keeping or training animals for exhibition licence

Activities that require a licence

These are:

• businesses which keep animals for exhibition, either for entertainment or educational purposes. This includes mobile animal exhibits that visit schools, weddings, private parties, fairs and other events where an audience is present

• pony parties where the ponies are not ridden

• businesses which keep animals for exhibition via electronic media, for example, animals used in films or TV

• businesses which train animals for exhibition, either to an audience or via electronic media

• exhibiting domestic animals in a circus

• any business based outside of England that brings in an animal for exhibition. These businesses must apply to the first authority in which they will be performing or where the animals are to be kept for the duration of their stay

There is further guidance that we must consider, when determining whether an activity is being carried on in the course of a business. This includes:

• whether the operator makes any sale by, or otherwise carries on, the activity with a view to making a profit

• whether the operator earns any commission or fee from the activity

There is also government advice that anyone with a trading income of less than £1,000 should not be considered to be operating a business.

Activities that do not require a licence

For example:

• agents who organise for the exhibition of animals, but do not own them or train them themselves and thus have limited or no contact with the animals. Agents who arrange for the supply of animals for an exhibit should ensure all keepers and trainers are licensed and comply with the regulations

• animal shows where animals are exhibited (for example Crufts, animal trade shows). If individual participants are in the business of exhibiting animals and receive a fee for doing so, they will need to have a licence, but the show itself does not require a licence as it is not responsible for the animals exhibited

• training or exhibiting animals for military or police purposes (that is, training police dogs, demonstrations of police/military dogs at fairs)

• registered charities that exhibit animals as part of their charitable work, unless such registered charities are in practice running this element of their operations as a commercial activity

• training or exhibiting animals for sporting purposes, for example, horse racing and greyhound racing

• exhibiting wild animals within a licensed circus

• licensed zoos