# The vet Bill has arrived!!!!! :gasp:



## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

After the council charged me £231 for my licence. I was expecting the vet bill to be around £100 call out fee at a max seeing as he didn't realy have to do much or treat any animals. He was here for about half an hour and has billed me £335!!!!! :gasp:

Is this normal?


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Yep thats about right for our area, it will be another £50 on top of that for mine as the vet will be travelling for about 30 minutes each way. 

DWA aint cheap!


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Oh right Jesus crist...Defo not cheap!!! Ha that's almost as dear as the caimen!!!


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

That sounds cheap, to waht i ahve heard about DWA vetting and checks!!!


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Trootle said:


> That sounds cheap, to waht i ahve heard about DWA vetting and checks!!!


YEAH!!! Bloody el wat have u heard?


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

ChopChop said:


> After the council charged me £231 for my licence. I was expecting the vet bill to be around £100 call out fee at a max seeing as he didn't realy have to do much or treat any animals. He was here for about half an hour and has billed me £335!!!!! :gasp:
> 
> Is this normal?


£231 for a DWAA license is very expensive, what does the Council charge for a Pet Shop Licence? They should be a similar, if the PSL is significantly less then challenge the Council for an explanation, they *must* account for the difference. As regards to the vet charges, going rate is a maximum of £70 per hour, so £335 accounts for nearly 5 hours work, did he/she really spend 5 hours on this!


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Chris Newman said:


> £231 for a DWAA license is very expensive, what does the Council charge for a Pet Shop Licence? They should be a similar, if the PSL is significantly less then challenge the Council for an explanation, they *must* account for the difference. As regards to the vet charges, going rate is a maximum of £70 per hour, so £335 accounts for nearly 5 hours work, did he/she really spend 5 hours on this!


I thought £231 for the licence sounded about right. But that vet bill sound rediculess to me yet people say its fine. he was here wiv the council no longer than half hour so no he didnt spend 5 hours on it at all. And I owe the money to my council now so do you think they have already paid it on my behalf?


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Chris Newman said:


> £231 for a DWAA license is very expensive, what does the Council charge for a Pet Shop Licence? They should be a similar, if the PSL is significantly less then challenge the Council for an explanation, they *must* account for the difference. As regards to the vet charges, going rate is a maximum of £70 per hour, so £335 accounts for nearly 5 hours work, did he/she really spend 5 hours on this!


I asked my vet this, because my LA advised the vet bill will be £200+ - so i spoke to my vet who i get on with rather well. He said the rate varies depending on the person and what they are intending to keep. Apparently the admin involved is vast and its a risk to them and their reputation - but i bet they do charge FAR more than the work involved just simply because they can.


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## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

I think I paid around £170 for my pet shop licence vet check when I had one.

I'd query it. Sounds seriously over priced for half hour check and possibly 10 mins worth of paperwork to file.


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## Demonlude (Feb 17, 2009)

Did you not enquire about vet fees before the inspection?

I have been quoted £150 per hour PLUS VAT. My visit is expected to take less than an hour, but travelling will be around 1.5 hours for a return trip.


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

ChopChop said:


> I thought £231 for the licence sounded about right. But that vet bill sound rediculess to me yet people say its fine. he was here wiv the council no longer than half hour so no he didnt spend 5 hours on it at all. And I owe the money to my council now so do you think they have already paid it on my behalf?


Do you know what the cost is for a Pet Shop License is? If it’s less than £231 then ask them to account for the difference – they must comply with your request. The Act requires a veterinary surgeon to do the initial inspection, he/she must be suitable qualified to do the inspection. Many Local Authorities require this to be done by a vet who is on the Defra list of zoo inspectors; the going rate for this is £70 per hour. If the inspection took half, plus say half and hour to write the report the cost should be an hour + plus travelling time. If the Local Authority agreed to pay more than this, then the excess is down to them, not you!


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

nicnet said:


> I think I paid around £170 for my pet shop licence vet check when I had one.
> 
> I'd query it. Sounds seriously over priced for half hour check and possibly 10 mins worth of paperwork to file.


Maybe I will its worth a try at least. Even if I ask for an itemised receipt.


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

chondro13 said:


> I asked my vet this, because my LA advised the vet bill will be £200+ - so i spoke to my vet who i get on with rather well. He said the rate varies depending on the person and what they are intending to keep. Apparently the admin involved is vast and its a risk to them and their reputation - but i bet they do charge FAR more than the work involved just simply because they can.


Yeah the vet seemed ok. Why would he charge me so much just because I'm inexperienced with keeping caimen tho I bet its most people who are getting a caiman its there first time at owning one? 



nicnet said:


> I think I paid around £170 for my pet shop licence vet check when I had one.
> 
> I'd query it. Sounds seriously over priced for half hour check and possibly 10 mins worth of paperwork to file.


Maybe I will its worth a try at least. Even if I ask for an itemised receipt.



Demonlude said:


> Did you not enquire about vet fees before the inspection?
> 
> I have been quoted £150 per hour PLUS VAT. My visit is expected to take less than an hour, but travelling will be around 1.5 hours for a return trip.


No I didnt because im an IDIOT!! My girlfriend has horses so I went off her vets call out fees and just added abit on. <<< like I said im an IDIOT!!! Ha


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Chris Newman said:


> Do you know what the cost is for a Pet Shop License is? If it’s less than £231 then ask them to account for the difference – they must comply with your request. The Act requires a veterinary surgeon to do the initial inspection, he/she must be suitable qualified to do the inspection. Many Local Authorities require this to be done by a vet who is on the Defra list of zoo inspectors; the going rate for this is £70 per hour. If the inspection took half, plus say half and hour to write the report the cost should be an hour + plus travelling time. If the Local Authority agreed to pay more than this, then the excess is down to them, not you!


Is this true mate because I'm going to quote this to my council. I hope so. But I've already paid for and recived my licence. They have sent me the vets invoice with my copy of my licence the sneeky buggers


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## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

lol they have left you a wide open alleyway to query it now then. Since they already issued your licence they cant revoke it without due cause. If they hadnt already issued it and you queried the bill then you may have risked the licence being issued.

They should also have given you due warning of the costs when you applied for the licence, this should include a rough quote on the vet.

What I found happened once with ours, first one we got. They booked a vet that was wayyyy out in the middle of nowhere, there was one much closer that they could have booked. They didnt ask me if I was willing to pay for the earlier booking with the vet that would have cost a heap more so they had to eventually bill me for the one that was closer.

What I would do, check if there was a vet closer to you that was licenced to do this check, if there was you can argue the travel costs on the bill at least.


(edit)
afterthought, if the vet was from far away, they also cant charge you full travel costs if they have another appointment in the area. Otherwise they are charging two people for one travel distance. Thats a no no legally. They can charge you half max if they are already in the area if I remember rightly. If they werent in the area they should have contacted you and let you know that you would be charged x for travel costs. You only booked a vet inspection, you didnt book them to travel from half way across the country to come do it. 

Can also phone other defra licenced vets and ask them for a quote sent in the mail. average them out and offer to pay the average.


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

ChopChop said:


> Is this true mate because I'm going to quote this to my council. I hope so. But I've already paid for and recived my licence. They have sent me the vets invoice with my copy of my licence the sneeky buggers


The Dangerous Wild Animals Act is an Act that resides with Defra but is devolved to the relevant Local Authority administer. The Local Authority is entitled to recover costs for administration, but it cannot make a profit or use punitive changes to deter applications, all applications have to be conceded on merit. The Act requires an inspection by a ‘competent’ [suitable experienced] veterinary surgeon, there is no direction on what the veterinary may charge, this is down to the Local Authority to negotiate. However, such costs must be reasonable and proportionate. If the Local Authority employs a vet, then they are entitled to recover ‘reasonable’ costs from the applicant, i.e. yourself. A base line guidance would be that of a vet suitable experienced/qualified to be a zoo inspector, that rate is £70 per hour. That is what I would suggest is reasonable and proportionate for the Local Authority to recover, if they have agreed to pay more the balance I would suggest is done to them – please feel free to quote me on that.


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

A very good point has been raised, if the Local Authority have issued a license under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act they cannot revoke it, only a Court can revoke such a licence. They can obviously decline to reissue a licence, on valid grounds, but renewals are every two years so you have sufficient time to content any matter you are not content with.


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

chondro13 said:


> I asked my vet this, because my LA advised the vet bill will be £200+ - so i spoke to my vet who i get on with rather well. He said the rate varies depending on the person and what they are intending to keep. Apparently the admin involved is vast and its a risk to them and their reputation - but i bet they do charge FAR more than the work involved just simply because they can.


you might find you wont be able to use your local vet to boot because of familiarity thats what my local council has told me :devil:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> you might find you wont be able to use your local vet to boot because of familiarity thats what my local council has told me :devil:


Ah thankfully my soon-to-be LA jumped at the chance when i asked if i could use my vet :lol2: I get the feeling they dont have a clue where the nearest reptile vet is or who he is let alone anything else... I think its safe to say i would most definitely be the first person ever to apply in this particular area. 

When we considered moving there my first task was to email the council to see how difficult a DWAL application would be - i got an immediate response with the licensing chaps MOBILE number. So i gave him a shout and he was so laid back about it i couldnt believe it. It really was a case of 'sure we'd love to have your vet do the visit, we have no additional requirements, as long as the vet is happy your not going to kill yourself or the general public and you have PL insurance we are more than happy to issue a licence to you'. Legend :flrt:


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

chondro13 said:


> Ah thankfully my soon-to-be LA jumped at the chance when i asked if i could use my vet :lol2: I get the feeling they dont have a clue where the nearest reptile vet is or who he is let alone anything else... I think its safe to say i would most definitely be the first person ever to apply in this particular area.
> 
> When we considered moving there my first task was to email the council to see how difficult a DWAL application would be - i got an immediate response with the licensing chaps MOBILE number. So i gave him a shout and he was so laid back about it i couldnt believe it. It really was a case of 'sure we'd love to have your vet do the visit, we have no additional requirements, as long as the vet is happy your not going to kill yourself or the general public and you have PL insurance we are more than happy to issue a licence to you'. Legend :flrt:


So er where do you live again my council was less than helpfull im currently in the extreme early stages of it a mate of mine recently went through the 75% of everything only to have the vet they sourced for him as he had the same problems as me to be a total idiot and not have any clue whatsoever about the species he intened to keep. 

You must have won the council lottery :lol2:


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## Fatally_Blonde (Jun 12, 2009)

I've just looked into getting a license, it's £335 in my area! You choose what date the license starts, but regardless of when it commences it expires on the 31st December each year. 

Wow!


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

Fatally_Blonde said:


> I've just looked into getting a license, it's £335 in my area! You choose what date the license starts, but regardless of when it commences it expires on the 31st December each year.
> 
> Wow!


DWAA Licenses expire two years from the date of issuance, they no longer run January to December – this applies to *all* Local Authorities.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Paid £80 for a pal three months ago. Vet came out two weeks ago and spent more time looking at my own animals that the ones I was putting on the paperwork. In total she was here for two hours. I had asked for a price before the visit but never got an answer.'after the inspection she said she needed to write the report up but still haven't heard any more about the report or the costs!
(sorry know your on about dwaa but vet costs should be about the same anywhere)


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Think im just goin to have to cough up the cash. He's charged me for 155 minets at £100 an hour and the VAT and petrol has brought it to £335. cheers for the advise people but I'm defo not smart enough to start arguing points with my council and a DWA vet and I dont want to bitterness between me and council aswel.


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## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

Thought you said he was only there for half hour or so. 

I'd find out if there was a closer vet that the council could have used and ask them to justify the use of a vet that had that much travel time.


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

nicnet said:


> Thought you said he was only there for half hour or so.
> 
> I'd find out if there was a closer vet that the council could have used and ask them to justify the use of a vet that had that much travel time.


Yeh he was the rest must of been traveling time. He has only come from the other side of manchester I think but he would be able to get away with saying its took him an hour here and back. Plus paper work!! I've been stung mate. And im from oldham there isnt much round here mate its a S**T hole so the council would be able to justify getting somebody from manchester to do it wouldn't they.


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## lizard wizard (Jun 9, 2009)

i paid £371 and he was here for about an hour he too spent most his time looking at my ball python collection,i was shocked at my bill too,but all worth it in the end


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## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

He still cant justify £100 an hour though. Not when others average £70 an hour.

I'd still query it with the council and defra that one of their vets is charging extortionate fees and not informing you first of the costs. They cant do it.

When I applied for my pet shop licence they used to phone me ahead of time, make the appointment and give me a quote. They should have done the same with you. Dont roll over on this one, or next time you'll get the same.


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

nicnet said:


> He still cant justify £100 an hour though. Not when others average £70 an hour.
> 
> I'd still query it with the council and defra that one of their vets is charging extortionate fees and not informing you first of the costs. They cant do it.
> 
> When I applied for my pet shop licence they used to phone me ahead of time, make the appointment and give me a quote. They should have done the same with you. Dont roll over on this one, or next time you'll get the same.


I'm still going to phone them i just dont want to start dropping things on them and pulling them on rules and regulations. Plus other people have paid similar charges so I'm thinking he must be able to justify it. He's obviously and over expensive vet isn't he, he pulled up in a big flash car like a football player :lol2:


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

lizard wizard said:


> i paid £371 and he was here for about an hour he too spent most his time looking at my ball python collection,i was shocked at my bill too,but all worth it in the end


Oh its still DEFIANTLY worth it mate!! :2thumb:


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## gav.b1984 (Aug 14, 2010)

*Dwa*

my licence was a bit cheeper than that!!i would'nt question it because people are getting charged different prices all over the place?also one points the vets are normally keen on is if you have the money to have such a pet when it's bigger,and afford to keep it............


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

My LA (Fareham, Hampshire) charges £670 for the first issue of of DWAL with subsequent renewals being £65, a PSL costs £90. Both have undisclosed vet fees on top.

I'm not planning on getting one but just goes to show how much the prices vary.


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

gav.b1984 said:


> my licence was a bit cheeper than that!!i would'nt question it because people are getting charged different prices all over the place?also one points the vets are normally keen on is if you have the money to have such a pet when it's bigger,and afford to keep it............


Thats what I was thinking. I'm goin to fone them anyway because it doesn't say when i have to pay it buy so I'm just goin to bring it up.



garlicpickle said:


> My LA (Fareham, Hampshire) charges £670 for the first issue of of DWAL with subsequent renewals being £65, a PSL costs £90. Both have undisclosed vet fees on top.
> 
> I'm not planning on getting one but just goes to show how much the prices vary.


£670 and that's without the vet fees??? How come it varies so much with diffrent councils is it because some areas are obviously posher than others or because some places its more common than others?


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## gav.b1984 (Aug 14, 2010)

*dwa*

i thik councils are allowed to charge what they want and when,then you got the vet jumping in on it saying i'll have a bit of that!!i would'nt mind but when i got my first years licence and the vet came he ask me what species of crocodile is that as he had not seen one before?then said he was goin back to look it up on google....i did'nt say a word as long as he signed that licence lol:2thumb:
its worth finding a good vet when you keeping animals like these,just incase you ever needed one?


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

gav.b1984 said:


> i thik councils are allowed to charge what they want and when,then you got the vet jumping in on it saying i'll have a bit of that!!i would'nt mind but when i got my first years licence and the vet came he ask me what species of crocodile is that as he had not seen one before?then said he was goin back to look it up on google....i did'nt say a word as long as he signed that licence lol:2thumb:
> its worth finding a good vet when you keeping animals like these,just incase you ever needed one?


No they are not permitted to charge what they like, they are only entitled to recover ‘reasonable costs’ – excessive charged are unlawful and any Local Authority which contravenes the law should be brought to task, it is not difficult. 

Unfortunately licensing costs are not set by government, Local Authority are entitled to set their own fees. However, they are legally obliged to justify changes if challenged. As I have said before a good guidance for costs should that the LA charge for Pet Shop Licensing, if they are substantially different simple ask why?

It is very unfortunate that people fail to challenge rouge councils that make excessive charges or allow vets to make excessive charges because that affects everyone else, this is the reason there are so many unlicensed keepers.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Human Rights Act makes it a legal requirement for all UK law to be compliant with all the Articles of the Human Rights Act. Anything which breaches this Act can only lawfully breach it if it is lawful (ie is part of an Act of Parliament), proportionate, and necessary. One Article is the Right to enjoy a private life. I would suggest that excessive fees could be argues to be in breach of this, as they are not proportionate or necessary, and so therefore illegal.
Just a thought!


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## frogman121 (May 10, 2009)

im building a caimen enclosure at the moment, have applied for my license, im in sandwell council (nr Birmingham) and to be fair to them, when i initially contacted them they were great, came around to discuss my plans, two of them came around, explained costs, what the vet would be looking for, what they wanted to see etc etc, the license itself costs £50 but they do all this stuff before to save you wasting time and money, thought that was really good!!!

chop chop....add me on facebook dude anthony big-man franklin


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

frogman121 said:


> im building a caimen enclosure at the moment, have applied for my license, im in sandwell council (nr Birmingham) and to be fair to them, when i initially contacted them they were great, came around to discuss my plans, two of them came around, explained costs, what the vet would be looking for, what they wanted to see etc etc, the license itself costs £50 but they do all this stuff before to save you wasting time and money, thought that was really good!!!
> 
> chop chop....add me on facebook dude anthony big-man franklin


Yeh that sounds good that. Hope you get it mate good luck. What caimen are you getting? And i cant seem to find you on Facebook. Add me pal Seb chop chop jones.


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## Lil_nightmare (Feb 26, 2011)

Out of pure curiosity i looked up my LA DWA fees

Exeter city council:

*The licence will be granted subject to a veterinary inspection (this will not be your own vet) which is included in the licence fee.* The Licensing Officer may accompany the vet during the inspection. 
*Fees and charges*



New Licence: £300.00
Renewal (every two years): £300.00
Variation of licence: £300.00
dunno what variation of licence means?


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Stockton council (notice they are still saying every 12 months- is it now 24'months across the whole of the Uk?)
Application Process
*
A fee of £120.00 will be payable for both a new grant and a renewal application.

To ensure that the premises meets the requirements of the Act we authorise a veterinary surgeon to inspect the premises. The fee for this is not included in the application fee and will be invoiced separately.

Local authorities must have regard to the following when considering an application for a pet shop licence:

it is not contrary to the public interest to do so on the grounds of safety, nuisance or other grounds.
the applicant is a suitable person to hold a licence to keep the animals listed on the application.
the animal(s) will be kept in accommodation that prevents its escape and is suitable in respect of construction, size, temperature, drainage and cleanliness.
that the animal(s) will be supplied with adequate and suitable food drink and bedding material and be visited at suitable intervals.
appropriate steps will be taken to ensure the protection of the animal(s) in case of fire or other emergency.
all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
the animal(s) accommodation is such that it can take adequate exercise.
Conditions can be attached to a licence to ensure that the above are complied with.

it is our aim to complete the application process within 30 working days (subject to a satisfactory veterinary inspection within this period).

If your application is successful your licence will run until 31st of March of the financial year in which it is granted.* You will then need to apply to renew it for another twelve months.


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## Lil_nightmare (Feb 26, 2011)

hmm my council says that it doesnt coverpet shops so maybe looking at the wrong licence?


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Either some LA's arer acting outside of the Act, or simply haven't updated their sites. The 2007 amendment meant that licences now run for 2 years, from the date they are granted, so LA's saying they must be renewed yearly, and that they must be renewed on March 31st are wrong (and before the change, the date was 1st January, so whee March comes in is anyones guess!) The fee to amend the licence is exactly that. If you want to add species which were not covered on the initial application, you have to apply to add them, at a cost of course.
As for petshops, they are exempt from the DWAA so do not require a licence.


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

ian14 said:


> Either some LA's arer acting outside of the Act, or simply haven't updated their sites. The 2007 amendment meant that licences now run for 2 years, from the date they are granted, so LA's saying they must be renewed yearly, and that they must be renewed on March 31st are wrong (and before the change, the date was 1st January, so whee March comes in is anyones guess!) The fee to amend the licence is exactly that. If you want to add species which were not covered on the initial application, you have to apply to add them, at a cost of course.
> As for petshops, they are exempt from the DWAA so do not require a licence.


Absolutely correct, one of the issues is quite simply many LA’s have yet to update their websites since the change. Notwithstanding this licences now run from data of issuance for two years.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

When the guy from Stockton councils comes out again in a few weeks I'll point out the inaccuracies so he can update the information. Looks like it needs it if it was changes in 2007!


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Yeah my licence is for two years but a person from the council will have to come in 1 years time aswell tho (don't know why she told me she knows nothing about caiman) but i still have to pay £97 a year to keep up my licence. After the two years the vet has to come back and re-inspect my encloser I guess

Just to let people know. 

Oldham council charged for my DWAL...£231 + £97 per year.

And the vet charged...£335

P.S Think its stupid bout the petshop licences not having to be inspected because most there encloser I've seen (for caiman) are tiny. Plus ther animals are at a lot more risk to the public seeing as people are coming into contact with them on a daily basis.


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

ChopChop said:


> Yeah my licence is for two years but a person from the council will have to come in 1 years time aswell tho (don't know why she told me she knows nothing about caiman) but i still have to pay £97 a year to keep up my licence. After the two years the vet has to come back and re-inspect my encloser I guess
> 
> Just to let people know.
> 
> ...


The £97 is for what precisely? That makes your licence £425 + £335 = £760 – that is totally outrageous.


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

I have just looked on the Oldham Councils website:

*Pet Shop License*
£90.50 (excluding VAT and veterinary charges)

*Dangerous Wild Animals Act License*
New: £225.50 
Renewal involving change of circumstances:.£190
Renewal involving no change of circumstances: £97.50
To each of these licence fees will be added any necessary veterinary fees incurred.

I would strongly suggest that you ask them, in writing, to justify the difference between the charges for the PSL and the DWAA. They are duty bound to reply and the *must* justify such costs.


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

Chris Newman said:


> The £97 is for what precisely? That makes your licence £425 + £335 = £760 – that is totally outrageous.


It's £556. Can people with DWA please put what they have paid if they don't mind just so I can see the differences. Cheers


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

Chris Newman said:


> No they are not permitted to charge what they like, they are only entitled to recover ‘reasonable costs’ – excessive charged are unlawful and any Local Authority which contravenes the law should be brought to task, it is not difficult.


Tell you what the difference of a few meters changes the definition of "reasonable cost" in a big way. I'm in Broxtowe and when I enquired last autumn it was something like £124 (for two years) and they estimated the vets fee would be something like £80 but if it takes him a while it could be more. However two doors down is where Nottingham city starts and their council charges over £1000 pounds. As quoted in another thread by a member enquiring...extortion IMO.

"In order to deal with your application, it will be necessary to obtain a report from an independent veterinary adviser regarding the accommodation to be provided. That fee is included in the sum payable by you and which should be enclosed with this application, and amounts to a total of *£1167.00 *which includes an application fee of £244. At the initial stage of an application it is difficult to envisage the full cost involved and therefore the City Council reserve the right to levy an additional fee in the event of work needing to be done over and above that allowed for in the fee. These fees are payable whether or not a licence is granted, and, except where the City Council so authorise, no refund of fee will be made if the application is refused. In the event of a balance being outstanding, this will be returned to the applicant."


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

My licence cost was £230 for Walsall MBC.
I was asked to arrange my own vet inspection which i did with the vet that looks after West mids safari park, in total this cost me £260 for the inspection and report. I may have got a cheaper price with a different local vet but i knew that the vet does a lot of DWAL inspections and the inspection was very thorough and professional and i knew if i could pass his inspection then i would pass anybody's.
I have heard of some LA's not asking for a vet inspection as the inspector is a reptile guy and knows what he is looking for.

I was also asked about my experience with keeping and working with the animals i was looking to get licenced for, i believe that ANYONE looking to get a licence should be asked this and be able to prove it. I myself have had a DWAL in the past and the vet knew people who i had worked with so was easy to check. I agree the DWAL is primerally for public safety and just having the correct room criteria does not mean that the person applying should have one issued unless they have relevent experience and compitance, especially for venomous snakes, caimen on the other hand is a different kettle of fish and although it will never happen i believe they should not be on the dwaa, especially whan there are large monitors out there that can be kept without a licence by anyone that can cause similar damage.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

leecb0 said:


> especially whan there are large monitors out there that can be kept without a licence by anyone that can cause similar damage.


Very true.


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## TM-Dubz (Apr 13, 2011)

Some of these costs seem very high. I was fortunate enough to pay £117 for the licensing and £90 for my vets fees. Renewal will be approximately half the initial license fee. My (very) local vet is well educated in the treatment of reptiles and my council has access to an experienced advisor. As I say, I feel pretty lucky to be in this position.


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## oliwilliams (Feb 23, 2010)

My local bandits want £328 plus vet fee for a dwa and wont tell me the criteria for it to be granted for inverts. They only want £132 for a pet shop though so might be asking them to explain that.


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## ChopChop (Mar 18, 2011)

oliwilliams said:


> My local bandits want £328 plus vet fee for a dwa and wont tell me the criteria for it to be granted for inverts. They only want £132 for a pet shop though so might be asking them to explain that.


Bandits :lol2:

Anyways people I'm just paying mine this week then thats it its over and done with and I can go buy my CAIMEN!!!!! :2thumb:


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## herpetologyismylife (Apr 16, 2011)

my council fee is £120 and the vet fee is £200 but as I enquired about crocodilius species thet vet bill would be more because it goes into a different catagory, so yes I really do think that vets can charge alot more than what they are suppose to


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

As everyone else is posting their councils prices, I just looked up our councils (Hart District Council) and I was very surprised considering their a bunch of robbing :censor:

£230 plus vet fee's at £73.50 + VAT per hour and renewal is £120 plus vet fees at the same rate.

Now just to get the kids out the house so I can apply.


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## KJ Exotics (Jun 16, 2007)

Chris Newman said:


> I have just looked on the Oldham Councils website:
> 
> *Pet Shop License*
> £90.50 (excluding VAT and veterinary charges)
> ...


I am in nuneaton and bedworth and it is silly:
DWA is £470.80
PSL is £183.20

That is without vet charges :O


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

ian14 said:


> Either some LA's arer acting outside of the Act, or simply haven't updated their sites. The 2007 amendment meant that licences now run for 2 years, from the date they are granted, so LA's saying they must be renewed yearly, and that they must be renewed on March 31st are wrong (and before the change, the date was 1st January, so whee March comes in is anyones guess!) The fee to amend the licence is exactly that. If you want to add species which were not covered on the initial application, you have to apply to add them, at a cost of course.
> As for petshops, they are exempt from the DWAA so do not require a licence.


Hey Ian, out of interest, when applying for your licence can you not just put _Viperidae sp._ _Elapidae sp_. (etc for all you could ever possibly want to keep) and then just inform your LA when you do make a new purchase of any species, because technically it will have already have been put on your initial application? 

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.... that seems like such a daft way to charge for something..


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