Apply for a professional dog walking licence
You need to have a licence to use our parks and open spaces for professional dog walking services.
You must not start until you receive your licence.
Licence fees
The annual licence covers the period 1 April to 31 March in the following year.
The licence fee depends on the number of dogs you will be walking:
- 1 to 2 dogs - £75
- 3 to 4 dogs - £150
- 5 to 6 dogs - £300
You can select different numbers of dogs for different sites, however the fee you pay will be based on the maximum number of dogs you will be walking at any site.
All fees are excluding VAT. Pro-rata fees will be applied to applications for a new licence made after 1 May.
Sites
You must supply details of all sites where you will be carrying out dog walking services.
Licences only cover dog walking in areas where dogs are allowed. View a map of sites and restrictions - an interactive map will be available shortly.
There are some parks and open spaces in the borough where dogs are not permitted.
Dog walking companies
If you are an employee of a dog walking or dog care company then the company name, address and other relevant information must be provided in this application.
A licence is not transferrable between dog walkers within the same company. If your company employs more than one dog walker then separate applications must be made for, and in the name of, each dog walker.
If you leave
If your employing company stops trading, or you leave the company named in this application, then your licence will be terminated with immediate effect.
You will need to make a new application if you wish to continue to provide professional dog walking services either on your own account or as an employee of another company.
Application questions
You will be asked to provide some answers relating to animal welfare, safety and emergencies.
You may wish to prepare these on a separate document before you start, and then copy your answers into the form. This will avoid the form timing out.
Safety
- On what grounds would you refuse to walk a potential client's dog/s?
- Will you be open to walk any dogs as defined by Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (updated)? Give your reasons
Travel and animal welfare
- If you travel to the site in a car or van - are the dogs crated or otherwise secured within the vehicle in compliance with the Highway Code? If not, explain why not
- How do you ensure the Five Freedoms of the Animal Welfare Act 2006?
Incidents and emergencies
- What is your procedure and who would you notify if you lost a dog/s from your group in the licensed park?
- What would you do and who would you notify if a dog or dogs in your group became unwell, or injured, while walking in the licensed park? What is your emergency procedure?
- How would you deal with an incident where a dog or dogs in your group became involved in a sustained dog fight (either by instigation or through no fault of its own)?
- How would you deal with an incident where a dog or dogs in your group interferes with another park user, particularly children?
Experience and equipment
- Provide details of your experience of multiple dog walking
- List all equipment that you will carry with you during a dog walking session
- List any other/additional equipment that you will carry in your vehicle
Supporting documents
You must submit supporting documents with your application.
- A passport photograph of the applicant
- Evidence of valid Public Liability Insurance for minimum £2 million and the number of dogs you are covered to walk at any one time, if applicable
- Suitable reference e.g. client references etc
If you are unable to upload the documents to the online form, you must email them to pdwl@wandsworth.gov.uk, quoting the reference number you will get when you submit the form.
Your application will not be processed until we receive all of the required documents.
Terms and conditions
By completing the application you agree to the:
Please ensure you have read these carefully before beginning your application.
Submit your application
To apply for your licence, complete the online form.
If you require a paper application form email pdwl@wandsworth.gov.uk.
Assessing applications
We will contact you when we have processed your application. This should be within two weeks.
You may be asked to attend a meeting with the Inspector from the Parks and Events Police Service to check information that you have provided.
All applications will be assessed against the criteria below.
Essential criteria
Applications will be considered in order of priority:
- Evidence of Public Liability Insurance for £2 million and the number of dogs covered to walk at any one time if applicable.
- Quality (relevance, completeness etc.) of responses in the application
- Assessment of suitability based on details about experience of multiple dog walking, including the number of years experience, training and related qualifications
Using your licence
Once your application has been approved, you will be registered on our database and will receive a Wandsworth lanyard with your licence attached.
You must wear your lanyard when you are carrying out your dog walking activities in a Wandsworth park or open space.
Contact
If you have any questions about professional dog walking licences, email pdwl@wandsworth.gov.uk.