The Pet Industry Federation has published a new analysis of animal licensing data submitted by local authorities under the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations 2018 (LAIA). These statutory returns, which all local authorities are required to provide, form the most detailed picture available of the licensing landscape across England.

Covering the period between 2023 and 2025, the report highlights clear shifts in the sector. Home boarding and dog daycare continue to show strong growth, while the number of kennels, catteries and licensed pet sales businesses has declined. Licence fees rose by an average of 9% in the past year, with notable increases for dog daycare and steady rises across most categories.

The report also identifies weaknesses in the quality of local authority reporting, with incomplete or inconsistent submissions limiting full comparability. PIF is calling for greater consistency and enforcement to ensure the data can be relied upon by businesses, regulators and policymakers alike and has written to the Government on this.

As the trade association for the UK pet industry, PIF supports its members on licensing and compliance issues, and this report is a valuable tool in helping businesses understand the market and prepare for change. Licensed businesses can also use the report to see how their local authority licence fees compare with other authorities.

The 20-page report provides:

• A three-year comparison of licence numbers across categories
• Analysis of sector trends between 2024 and 2025
• Insight into spurious or missing data from some local authorities
• A breakdown of licence fee trends across England

The report is available free of charge to PIF members as part of their membership benefits and is available from the members’ area of the PIF website. Non-members can purchase the report for £50 plus VAT. Please email accounts@petfederation.co.uk if you would like to purchase a copy. 

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF, said: “This is the most comprehensive overview of local authority licensing currently available. It provides essential insight into market movements and highlights the need for more consistent reporting to support businesses, regulators and policymakers.”