Key Animal Welfare Regulations & Standards

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) oversees all statutory licensing and welfare standards for kennels and catteries in England. The most applicable legislation is:

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006

• The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018

These outline the five welfare needs (including suitable environment and protection from discomfort or disease) and establish licensing inspection criteria. All commercial boarding, rehoming, or charity-based facilities must meet these requirements.

Kennelbuild designs to exceed DEFRA standards as standard.

The Dogs Trust Kennel Design Guide (2021) is widely regarded as the leading best-practice framework for the design of kennels and animal holding environments across the UK. While not a statutory document, it is referenced by DEFRA, the NPCC, RSPCA, and MOD as the gold standard for ensuring animal welfare, stress reduction, and operational effectiveness in kennelled environments.

Key principles include:

• Adequate space, light, ventilation, and temperature control

• Minimised stress through careful orientation, acoustic control, and visual barriers

• Zoning for quarantine, enrichment, and behavioural management

• Use of cleanable, non-porous materials to support hygiene

Kennelbuild integrates these standards across all new builds and refurbishments, ensuring each project exceeds compliance

While not statutory, the RSPCA’s internal standards are often used as aspirational targets by branches and rehoming charities. They focus heavily on:

• Enrichment: Sound, sightlines, outdoor access

• Flow: Minimising cross-contamination and handler stress

• Flexibility: Temporary housing, quarantine, long-term stays

Kennelbuild has supported multiple RSPCA sites across phased redevelopments, and our designs reflect their internal goals for behavioural wellbeing and rehoming readiness.