Animal Licenses

  • Service Area: Public Protection
  • Work Area: Licensing
  • Contact Details: 01443 866750 licensing@caerphilly.gov.uk
  • Privacy Notice Name: Applications for licences/registrations issued in relation to the keeping of animals. These include animal boarding establishments, dangerous wild animals, dog breeding, performing animals, pet shops and riding schools.
  • Description of Privacy Notice: This privacy notice will explain how Caerphilly County Borough Council will use the information you provide about yourself if you make an application for any of the above.

How we will use your information

Purpose and legal basis for using your information

Purpose of processing

The information you provide is used to process your application and will be used to determine your suitability / continued suitability for the purposes of licensing. Where appropriate, the information will also be used to ascertain your premises suitability for the keeping and welfare of animals for the type of establishment you are applying for.

Where licences are determined by a Committee, the agenda is publicly available via our website. Personal details however are anonymised.

We also have a legal obligation to maintain public registers for performing animals in accordance with legislation. If relevant the following information of yours will be contained on a public register:

  • Name;
  • Address of fixed place of residence;
  • Address or Addresses at which animals are trained.

Your information will also be used for the purposes of statutory returns, compliance and customer service reviews. 

Source and categories of personal data

In addition to the information you provide, we may also obtain information to determine your suitability/continued suitability for the purposes of licensing from other sources such as other local authorities that you may have previously held a licence with or the Police.

Legal basis for processing

There is a public task obligation to process your information detailed below:

There is a legal duty placed on the Council to consider applications for the keeping of animals issued in accordance with the following legislation:

  • Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1964
  • Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976
  • Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2014
  • Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925
  • Pet Shops
  • Riding Establishments Act 1964 & 1970

In order for the processing of personal data to be lawful under the General Data Protection Regulations 2016, a valid condition from Article 6 of the Regulations must be identified, which is outlined below:

1e - processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;

Data Protection legislation provides extra protection for certain classes of information called 'special category personal data'. If any information falls within the definition of special category personal data then an additional condition from Article 9 of the Regulations must be identified, as outlined below:

Data Protection Act 2018 – Schedule 1 / Part 2

6 (1) This condition is met if the processing —

  1. is necessary for a purpose listed in sub-paragraph (2), and

  2. is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

Those purposes are —

  1. the exercise of a function conferred on a person by an enactment or rule of law;

  2. the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown or a government department.

Data Protection legislation also provides extra protection for personal data in relation to criminal convictions and offences. If any personal data falls within this category then an additional condition from Article 10 of the Regulations must be identified.

The condition above is both an Article 9 and Article 10 condition for processing.

Where we are sharing your information with others outside of the public task requirement the legal basis for this sharing is outlined below:

1(f) processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child.

Who will have access to your information

Identity of Data Controller and Data Protection Officer

The Data Controller for your information is Caerphilly County Borough Council. The Data Protection Officer is:

  • Mr Carl Evans, Corporate Information Governance Manager / Data Protection Officer
  • Email: dataprotection@caerphilly.gov.uk
  • Tel: 01443 864322

Other Data Controllers may also be responsible for your information, depending on the specific circumstances. Please contact the Service Area for further information

Details of main users of your information

The main user of your information will be the Licensing and Trading Standards Sections, who will be supported with legal advice from CCBC’s Legal Services.

Where applications for licences cannot be determined by officers under delegated powers, applications are determined by a Sub Committee made up of elected members. Personal details however are anonymised.

We also have a legal obligation to maintain public registers for performing animals in accordance with legislation. If relevant the following information of yours will be contained on a public register:

  • Name;
  • Address of fixed place of residence;
  • Address or Addresses at which animals are trained

Details of any sharing of your information within Caerphilly county borough council

We may share your information with the following service areas:

  • Planning for the purposes of ensuring relevant planning permissions are in place.
  • Housing for the purpose of ensuring appropriate landlord’s consent.
  • Council Tax and Housing Benefits for the purpose of the detection and prevention of fraud on the public purse.

Details of any sharing of your information with other organisations

Your information may be shared where there is a legal basis for doing so with the following organisations:

  • Other Local Authorities
  • The Council’s Approved Veterinary Surgeon/Practitioner,
  • Other Veterinary Surgeons or Practitioners
  • Non statutory animal welfare organisations such as RSPCA
  • Other statutory authorities for example and not limited to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Home Office, Welsh Assembly Government, Department for Work and Pensions, Police or similar agency, where sharing your data is necessary.
  • Other public bodies or organisations using data matching techniques to collect taxes, detect and prevent fraud on the public purse or to assist in the investigation and detection of crime, the prosecution of offenders, protection of property and to maintain law and order.
  • We may also be required to share your personal information with the Police, or similar agency, or another Council for the purposes of preventing and detecting fraud.
  • ​Housing Associations

Details of any external data processors

Diamond People Ltd (Database provider) provides updates to system and maintenance of records and/or registers). The processing of data will be in accordance with the data processor agreement in place.

Requests for information

All recorded information held by Caerphilly County Borough Council may be subject to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the Data Protection Act 1998.

If the information you provide is subject to such a request, where possible Caerphilly County Borough Council will consult with you on its release. If you object to the release of your information we will withhold your information if the relevant legislation allows.

How long will we retain your information

Details of retention period

How long Caerphilly County Borough Council retains information is determined through statutory requirements or best practice.

In accordance with the Public Protection Data Retention Policy information is retained as follows:

  • Animal Boarding Establishment – Licence relevant plus 1 year & plans & vet’s inspections;
  • Dangerous Wild Animals – Licence relevant plus 1 year & plans & vet’s inspections;
  • Dog Breeding – Licence relevant plus 1 year & plans & vet’s inspections;
  • Performing Animals - Indefinite
  • Pet Shops – Licence relevant plus 1 year & plans & vet’s inspections;
  • Riding Schools – Licence relevant plus 1 year & plans & vet’s inspections.

Your Rights (Inc Complaints Procedure)

Your rights under the Data Protection

Data Protection gives data subjects (those who the information is about) a number of rights:

  • The right of subject access – Application forms for this process are available on our website: SAR Form
  • The right to be informed
  • The right of rectification
  • The right to erasure
  • The right to restrict processing
  • The right to object
  • The right to data portability
  • Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

Further information on your rights is available from: www.ico.org.uk.

To enact your rights please contact the service area detailed on the top of this form.

Complaints Procedure

If you are unhappy with the way that Caerphilly County Borough Council has handled your request / information, you have the right of complaint. Please contact the Service Area detailed at the top of this document outlining your issues.

If you remain unhappy you also have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office.