Service Charter

What the Environmental Health Animal Welfare Licensing service does

One of the areas of activity within the Environmental Health Service is Animal Welfare Licensing, where Hart has a responsibility to:

• advise about aspects of animal welfare licensing
• inspect and grant licences to premises subject to animal legislation such as dog boarding kennels, catteries, pet shops, riding establishments and others
• investigate complaints about animal welfare in these premises
• take formal action against offenders where other action is unsuccessful

Our Standards

We undertake to:

• respond to complaints about the standard of licensed premises within three working days, or immediately if it is agreed that there is imminent danger to safety
• respond within three working days of receipt of other requests for service, although for letters, which often contain more complex requests, we will respond within a maximum of ten working days
• approve satisfactory applications for licences within six weeks
• inspect all licensed animal welfare premises at least twice a year
• where you have complained or otherwise asked for action in relation to animal welfare, to listen to your problem and explain the possible courses of action. An appropriate course will be agreed with you,
• ensure that all complaints are, unless otherwise agreed, treated in confidence.
• keep you informed about the progress of the investigation
• advise you of the outcome of the investigation and any action taken to resolve your request
• try to advise you of the options available to you if we're unable to help with your enquiry
• carry out surveys to discover the underlying needs of our customers
• We strive always to provide a quality service.

If you require advice regarding animal welfare licensing matters please contact us.