More Pet Industry Federation (PIF) members are now eligible for help with licensing. PIF has extended its successful Primary Authority coordinated partnership with City of London Corporation. It will offer support for its licensed kennel, cattery and home boarding members across England and Wales.
PIF’s Primary Authority is a statutory partnership. It covers opted-in members to provide tailored advice, guidance and assistance on licensing issues. The government initiative to cut red tape and support economic growth through better local regulation is administered by Regulatory Delivery, part of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
The scheme standardises the criteria that pet businesses must adhere to in order to obtain their licence. It ensures that businesses are not subjected to licensing officers imposing random conditions.
The local authority has to follow the Inspection Plan that PIF has agreed with the City of London Corporation, so the inspection criteria used will be standardised. This in turn aims to help raise standards of animal welfare, as the criteria are based on the latest Model Licence Conditions (MLCs).
Any PIF member business who requires a licence under the Pet Animals Act 1951 or the Boarding Establishments Act 1963 is eligible to apply. The scheme is free to join.
Nigel Baker, chief executive said: “PIF already has a successful Primary Authority scheme in place for pet retailers, so we are delighted to collaborate once again with the pet experts from the City of London Corporation and extend our scheme to cover all types of boarding establishments.
“We believe that all licensed boarding premises should be inspected against a consistent set of criteria to ensure a level playing field between them. This is fairer to businesses and it also safeguards animal welfare by ensuring that all types of boarding businesses adhere to a set of approved licensing guidelines.
“PIF’s scheme uses both the 2016 CIEH Dog Boarding MLCs and the 2013 CIEH Cat Boarding MLCs, and introduces a revised set of MLCs for home boarding establishments.
“The scheme is really simple for PIF members. Just let us know if you’d like to opt-in and we will send you the information you need to get signed up. If you’re not a member, speak to us today about joining and taking advantage of Primary Authority”.
For more information go to www.petfederation.co.uk.
Contact the PIF customer service team on 01234 273933 or email info@petfederation.co.uk for details of how to become a PIF member.
