Licensed dog boarding and daycare
Every business that boards dogs for money in England, from kennels to a home boarder looking after one dog at a time, needs a licence from its local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018. Unlicensed boarding is illegal. Each licence carries a star rating from 1 to 5 and an expiry date.
Browse by county
We are working through English councils one at a time, starting with the ones below. Every listing shows its licence number, star rating and the council register it came from.
What the star rating means
Councils score licensed businesses from 1 to 5 on welfare standards and risk, not on customer experience. A business can be fully legal and compliant at 2 or 3 stars. It is a floor to check, not a popularity score, and we explain it the same way on every listing.
What to ask before you book
- Can I see the current licence and the council that issued it?
- What happens if my dog is unwell or hurt while boarding?
- How many dogs are on site at once, and from how many households?
- Can I visit and see where my dog will actually stay?