Home boarder license

[Flowersinglass]

We’ve recently used a home boarder who we are now having legal issues with but in doing a bit of research into her we believe she has been offering services without a license.

Does anyone know if a license is required. My reading of the government guidance is that it is and the boarder does not feature on the list with our local authority. I understand having a license means more checks/scrutiny. Does anyone know about this? Thanks

Just contact your local authority. They are the best ones to advise you.
You can always report them, which in turn will probably open a whole can of worms.

www.gov.uk/guidance/boarding-for-cats-or-dogs-licence-england

Yes, boarding should be licenced - and my guess is that only properly licensed ones will have valid insurance.

Dog walkers do not need licenses

Yes they need a license and have to comply with a list of regulations, some of them, not all, bordering on being ridiculous - the very reason my lovely sensible lady no longer takes boarders or sits dogs for the day, she will only come to our house to take DDog for a walk.

Yes - a license is required in the UK if you are boarding dogs in your home for money. This also applies for people running doggy daycares.

If your boarder doesn't have the correct license in place her insurance won't be valid and won't pay out in the event of an issue, I'm afraid, and operating without a license has been illegal for several years now.

What exactly happened and what is the issue you're having?

I would love to say as we are feeling really upset and alone right now but to say would be incredibly outing and we can’t take the risk the boarder isn’t on here. In short we believed that we were sending our dog to a safe environment with a professional who knew what they were doing and that now appears not to be the case.

Hope your dog is ok c

I hope nothing happened to your dog!

It's such a worry. I have to go back into the office for 3 half days a week and I'm also torn about what's best for our boy. I thought I would leave him with a dog walker/home boarder we use who lives on our street, but I'm very worried because she has a very lively and strong young Staffy cross who is extremely playful and I'm worried he's so big he could hurt our small pug (not in a malicious way, but by jumping on him during play).

I think you only have to have a license if you earn over a certain amount per year but yes check with your local council. Hope your dog is ok

Our dog is ok, we were able to get him out I think just in time otherwise I can’t bear to think about what might have happened. It’s very much advertised as a business so I can’t imagine it’s earning less than that especially thinking about what our fee was.

I would love to say as we are feeling really upset and alone right now but to say would be incredibly outing and we can’t take the risk the boarder isn’t on here. In short we believed that we were sending our dog to a safe environment with a professional who knew what they were doing and that now appears not to be the case.

Not having a licence doesn't make the boarder unsafe, and doesn't mean the boarder doesn't know what she's doing. It just means that don't have a licence.
If you're happy with her services, I'd carry on using her. It's her problem, not yours.
The only issue would be insurance - what would the insurance cover/not cover exactly?

True but having the license seems to require certain conditions which need to be met to ensure safety and these are checked so I suppose from an owners point of view you would be more assured.

I think it’s clear from my original post that we are not happy with the services. There has been quite a significant event and our research into her has led us to some animal welfare concerns. That she appears unlicensed means she is going unchecked and something else might happen.

Sorry, missed that bit.

If I were unhappy with the boarder I wouldn't use them, whether or not they had a licence.

Not having a licence doesn't make the boarder unsafe, and doesn't mean the boarder doesn't know what she's doing. It just means that don't have a licence.

But it means she's performing services illegally. That's a big issue if something goes wrong.

If you're happy with her services, I'd carry on using her. It's her problem, not yours. The only issue would be insurance - what would the insurance cover/not cover exactly?

Unfortunately it would be OP's problem too. Insurance won't pay out if she's carrying out boarding services without a license, and there are so many circumstances that could be covered by insurance:

• sickness that occurs while in the boarders care (anything from a run-of-the-mill stomach bug to a parasite caught in the boarders home)
• injury that occurs in the boarders care - again, anything from a cut paw to an injury caused by neglect.
• if OP's dog got into a fight or a scrap with another dog (either on the property or while out on walks) and needed veterinary care.
• if the OP's dog escaped or slipped it's lead etc and help was needed to track them down (or if, heaven forbid, they got injured or hit by a car etc)

Leaving your dog in the care of someone who doesn't have insurance is daft, really. If they're safe and know what they're doing, they'll have no problem getting a license.

@Sisisimone

I think you only have to have a license if you earn over a certain amount per year but yes check with your local council. Hope your dog is ok

This isn't strictly accurate.

If you provide home boarding/daycare services for money, you need a license. DEFRA is pretty clear on this - it used to be a lot more relaxed, though.

The amount you can earn before declaration is to do with taxes and HMRC, not whether you need a license or not.

I am a licence holder and have been Inspected by the local authority and a vet. It is a legal requirement that boarding Establishments are licensed premises.

I hope your dog is ok OP
Sorry to derail but a friend is having my dog while we are on holiday. I was going to offer to pay her, would this cause an issue does anyone think?

I used to know someone who boards dogs and says that they all belong to friends and she's looking after them for nothing. So that's her off the hook. I hate doggy day care and boarding etc - makes my blood run cold after seeing what this woman was like with the dogs.

@Hoppinggreen

I hope your dog is ok OP Sorry to derail but a friend is having my dog while we are on holiday. I was going to offer to pay her, would this cause an issue does anyone think?

Technically she shouldn't accept payment but there's nothing wrong with her watching your dog while you're away.

You could take her out for dinner or something as a thank you instead of you feel more comfortable with that

A licence is required and all local authorities are different with what is required to obtain a licence.

Why are you doing checks now that something has happened? All checks into a pet carer should be done before you leave any animal with someone. Whether they are licensed, check their certificate, whether they are fully insides again check their certificate. Check over their premises, have a list of questions that relate to your pet and the care you want. Word of mouth recommendations rather than online reviews are always best. You wouldn't put your child with an unregistered childminder would you?

Also having a licence doesn't make the person any better at caring for your pet, there are some not so nice welfare stories about licensed premises. A person can provide a safe and caring environment for your pet but have no licence.

I walked dogs and boarded with a licence and my local authority were super strict with requirements.

@Hoppinggreen

I hope your dog is ok OP Sorry to derail but a friend is having my dog while we are on holiday. I was going to offer to pay her, would this cause an issue does anyone think?

No, this is not an issue. It's a visiting dog and a friend and if you want to "gift" her for looking after your pet that's acceptable. You are not entering into a contract for services, she's doing you a favour and you are saying thank you for said favour. Xx

Thank you
I suspect she will refuse money so will give her flowers, chocs and wine