Regulatory Advocacy Statement

The Current Landscape: A Regulatory Gap

At Boyd’s Boarding & Canine Care Ltd, we believe every dog deserves professional, safe, and accountable care.

However, we recognise that the current regulatory framework in England does not provide this level of protection for dog walking services, pet sitting services, and dog training services. Whilst other activities such as dog breeding, kennel boarding, home boarding, and day care centres are strictly governed by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, these other services remain largely unregulated.

Whilst some local authorities in England use Public Space Protection Orders and other local regulations to require professional dog walkers to register with them, this is sporadic and standards are not applied consistently.

Subsequently, there is no mandatory licensing of dog walking, pet sitting, or dog training, and therefore no minimum qualification requirements or formal oversight for individuals or businesses offering these services. This ‘regulatory gap’ means that:

• Accountability is optional: There are no statutory limits on the number of dogs walked or transported simultaneously, increasing risk to public safety and animal welfare. Individuals and businesses are not required to satisfy a licensing authority that they conform to a minimum standard of recognised qualifications, equipment standards, and policies or procedures.

• Varying standards of care: Without a universal code of conduct, the quality of care, emergency preparedness, and specialist knowledge (such as behavioural signs, biosecurity, legislative requirements, and canine first aid) vary widely between individuals and businesses. This also allows individuals and businesses to offer a wide range of training that is not Ofqual-regulated and therefore not assessed against minimum standards.

• Varying standards of transport: Without licensing and regulation, individuals and businesses are not held accountable for complying with The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006, which sets out the minimum standards for the transport of pets regardless of distance travelled.

• Lack of transparency: There is currently a profound lack of public awareness of this ‘regulatory gap’, and pet owners have no way of verifying the professional standing and competency of a provider.

Our Position: Why Regulation Matters

Boyd’s Boarding & Canine Care Ltd believes the inclusion of dog walking, pet sitting, and dog training is no longer a matter of ‘best practice’, but is now a necessity. It is illogical that providers of home boarding, where dogs are accommodated overnight in a provider’s personal residence, are rightly regulated and must meet stringent standards, but providers can easily avoid these regulations by providing essentially the same service in a customer’s home instead.

As the United Kingdom strengthens legislation regarding livestock and general animal welfare in 2025, the law must go further to include the professional pet care sector. In the meantime, all canine care professionals must continue to advocate for increased regulation and provide public education to shine a spotlight on this ‘regulatory gap’.

A Call to Action

Boyd’s Boarding & Canine Care Ltd:

• Urge the UK Government and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to bring forward legislation expanding the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 to include dog walking services, pet sitting services and dog training services, before the end of the current Parliament.

• In the meantime, urge the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to exercise their powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to issue Statutory Guidance or a Code of Practice.

• We encourage all local authorities to make greater use of Public Space Protection Orders and other legislation available to them to regulate these services locally.

• Call on all pet care professionals and industry bodies to highlight and educate the public on the lack of regulation for these services and petition the UK Government for the above.

The Boyd’s Canine Care Commitment

While we await legislative changes, Boyd’s Boarding & Canine Care Ltd will:

1. Seek to improve public education through our social media channels and public events.

2. Highlight to new clients, at the first ‘meet and greet’ appointment, that they are engaging in unregulated services, what this means, and what alternative regulated services are available (such as day care).

3. At all first ‘meet and greet’ appointments with new clients, show physical copies of our Animal Transporter Authorisation, motor vehicle insurance, public liability insurance, care, custody and control insurance, our qualification certificates, a copy of our most recent Disclosure & Barring Service certificate (and explain its limitations), and our Transport Policy and Procedure.

4. Publish this Regulatory Advocacy Statement, in full, on our website and make it part of our Professional Service Agreement.

5. In our end-of-year returns to Companies House, include a short statement reconfirming our commitment to this statement and record any actions we have taken in furtherance of our position.

Our Accountability & Self-Regulation

If any client or member of the public believes Boyd’s Boarding & Canine Care Ltd has fallen below the standards of care that would otherwise be included in the legislative changes we are calling for, they can:

• In the first instance, write to us at info@boydscaninecare.co.uk and provide an opportunity to discuss the concerns and address them.

• May raise a complaint with Worcestershire Regulatory Services on 01905 822799 or enquiries@worcsregservices.gov.uk. The service is responsible for issues under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and other legislation.

• If the concern relates to the transport of animals, contact Worcestershire Regulatory Services (above), or the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Welfare in Transport Team on 03000 200 301 or WIT@apha.gov.uk. When contacting APHA, please inform them you are reporting concerns relating to an authorised animal transporter.

• May raise a concern to the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 or operations@rspca.org.uk.

• If you believe an animal is at immediate risk of serious harm or risk to life, contact West Mercia Police via 999 in an emergency. If you believe a criminal offence has been committed and it is not an emergency, contact 101. 

This statement was last updated April 2026.