Privacy notices - Animal Licence or registration

When you apply for an Animal Licence Highland Council keeps a record of the information you provide. You will require and animal licences if you carry out or possess any of the following:

• Animal boarding establishment;
• Animal welfare establishment;
• Breeding of dogs, cats or rabbits;
• Dangerous wild animals;
• Performing animals;
• Pet sellers;
• Rehoming animals;
• Riding establishment; and
• Zoo

We use your information and any supporting documentation you provide to process and determine your application. The Highland Council collects a range of data about you during the application process for a licence. This includes:

• your name, address and contact details, as well as email address and telephone number
• details of your qualifications, skills, experience, memberships and work history
• data on unspent convictions

We are required to keep a register of which is available for public inspection. This will include a record of your application and will display the name and address of your business, the date of issue of your licence and the expiry date of your licence. If your animal business is registered at your home address, we will not publish your address details on the register.  The council has a duty to publish this information under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/84/regulation/28/

While undertaking our statutory function in relation to animal health and welfare we will keep records of the interactions we have with your business.

If you do not provide us with the information then it would not be possible to carry out our statutory functions and process your licence application.

Article 6(1)(c) of UK GDPR (Legal Obligation) and Article 6(1)(c) OF UK GDPR (Public Task). 

The basis for processing your personal data is that undertaking this activity is part of our legal obligation and public task.  In doing so, the Council is also likely to process special categories of personal data. The Council understands our legal basis for doing so is that it is necessary for reasons of public interest in the area of public health.

The council has statutory functions to carry out licensing and we process these application forms in terms of The Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 & 1991, The Breeding & Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, Pet Animals Act 1951, Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, The Riding Establishments Act 1964 & 1970, Zoo Licensing Act 1981, The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2003, Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925, Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and The Licensing of Animal Dealers (Young Cats and Young Dogs) (Scotland) Regulations 2009.

• View personal data
• Change personal data
• Delete personal data
• Object to processing of personal data

Find out more about your rights

The information you provide may be used in relation to other statutory functions of the Protective Services (Environmental Health and Trading Standards) and may be shared with other Council Services.  In order to assess your application, we are required to carry out checks on the animals and facilities in your premises. For the purposes of animal welfare checks we may share your application with Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, other Council departments, veterinary surgeons and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).  

If your application is successful we will keep your information for as long as you continue to hold a relevant licence.  If you cease to hold a licence, we will keep your information for seven years from the expiry date. If your application is withdrawn or refused your application and related documents will be retained for a period of 2 years from the date of withdrawal or refusal.  The records we hold about your animal establishment for regulatory purposes will be kept for 7 years from the last date of action in relation to your business. 

Your information is not subject to automated decision making or profiling.

The data controller is The Highland Council

Data Protection Officer
Highland Council Headquarters
Glenurquhart Road
Inverness
IV3 5NX
01463 702029   

dpo@highland.gov.uk

If you are unhappy with the way we have processed your personal information you can contact the Information Commissioner:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/