Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Ashford and Tenterden

Ashford Borough Council licenses eight of the ten dog boarding, home boarding and day-care businesses confirmed for this listing, and two more say on their own websites that they're licensed but couldn't be matched against the register checked here. A licence is not a guarantee about any one stay, but it's the one document worth asking to see before you book, alongside a plain answer on vaccinations and breed policy.

Vaccinations

Every kennels, home boarder and day care listed here sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what a business requires and how far in advance, rather than assuming one business in Ashford or Tenterden asks for the same as another. Several also have their own view on kennel-cough cover; practice varies, so raise it directly rather than relying on what a previous boarder asked for.

Licences

Ashford Borough Council's own public register wasn't read directly for this listing; instead, the facts here come from a third-party mirror of the council's licensing records, which gives a licence number, licence type and expiry date, but not a star score, for any of the ten confirmed businesses. Two further businesses, By the Bridge Home Dog Boarding and Courtfield Kennels & Cattery, say on their own websites that they hold a council licence, but neither could be matched to a licence on the mirror checked for this listing; ask either one directly for its licence number if this matters to your decision.

Breed policies and insurance

A boarding or day-care business is entitled to ask about a dog's breed and set its own conditions, including for an XL Bully, so ask directly rather than assuming either way. Ransley House Kennels and Cattery states on its own site that it includes pet insurance and access to a 24-hour on-call vet; treat that as something the business says about itself, since Roskosh has no way to check an insurance claim independently.

Questions to ask before you book

• What vaccinations do you need before the stay, and how far in advance?
• Do you have a policy on kennel-cough cover?
• Do you have any breed policies I should know about, including for an XL Bully?
• Can I see your current licence number, and can I check it myself?
• Will my dog share space or exercise time with other dogs, and how often?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while staying with you, and who decides that?

What "licensed" actually covers

A licence covers premises standards, record-keeping and how many dogs a business may keep at once; it does not fix a price, guarantee a particular kennel or room, or promise a certain group size. Ransley House Kennels and Cattery, for example, is licensed for up to 36 dogs and 12 cats, while The Dog Lodge is licensed for up to 50 dogs; a higher capacity isn't a mark of quality either way, so ask about group sizes and routine separately.

Franchise and licence-number mismatches

We Love Pets Ashford's own branch page quotes a different licence number from the one shown on the register mirror checked for this listing; both refer to the same local branch, run by Honor Kendall, so this looks like an administrative mismatch rather than two separate licences, but it's still worth asking the branch to confirm its current licence number directly if you'd like to check it yourself.