We passed our latest inspection!!!
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People often ask how to set up something like Furry Friends and what’s involved in getting licensed… and the honest answer is — it’s a lot more than people realise.
To do what we do, you need an Animal Exhibition & Welfare Licence through your local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
This isn’t just filling in a form — it’s a full process where you have to evidence that every part of your setup meets strict welfare standards.
You’re expected to have:
• Full animal registers and logs – tracking each animal, their health, behaviour and workload
• Session records – where animals go, how long for, and how often
• Transport logs and suitable, safe vehicles
• Detailed care plans and welfare monitoring
• Feeding, cleaning and hygiene schedules
• Veterinary arrangements, health checks and up to date vaccinations
• Clear risk assessments, robust and emergency procedures
But it goes far beyond just the animals…
You also need:
• Staff training and competency checks
• DBS checks when working with vulnerable people
• Appropriate insurances (public liability, etc.)
• The right vehicle and equipment to transport animals safely
• A properly set up business with HMRC
• The right animals with the right temperament for this type of work
Before you’re approved, the council will carry out inspections, looking at everything — the animals, their condition, your knowledge, your setup, and how you operate day to day.
And it doesn’t stop there. Once licensed, you’re expected to maintain high standards, keep records up to date, and you can be re-inspected at any time.
The easiest way to describe it is — think **Care Quality Commission or Ofsted… but for animal welfare.
It’s not something you can just “have a go at” — and that’s exactly how it should be. These standards are there to protect animals and make sure they are safe, healthy and never overworked.
For us, everything is built around that.
Our animals are carefully chosen, sessions are controlled, and welfare always comes first — the visits are just a bonus of doing it right.
And when it is done properly, it really does make such a difference to so many people