How to choose dog boarding or day care in Barnstaple and North Devon

Nine dog boarders, kennels and day cares are listed for Barnstaple and North Devon, spread across three district councils' licensing areas: North Devon Council, Torridge District Council and West Devon Borough Council. Seven run boarding kennels and two are home boarders; there is no dedicated day-care-only business, though two of the kennels and both home boarders also take day care bookings alongside boarding.

Home boarding or kennels

Two of the nine are home boarders, where your dog lives in the boarder's own house rather than a kennel block: Anna's Ark Pet Services in the Barnstaple area, which also offers day care and dog walking, and Trixie Paws in the Bideford area, which also runs day care and a secure field to hire. As with any home boarder, only the area and town are shown on the listing; the street address is given once you book. The other seven run boarding kennels: Faithful Friends Kennels and Coastal Kennels in Braunton & Ilfracombe; Trelawn Boarding Kennels, which also runs a grooming salon, in South Molton & Lynton; Braddon House Kennels in Bideford; Bogmoor Kennels in Great Torrington & Holsworthy; Whitebridge Boarding Kennels, which also takes day care bookings, in Beaworthy & Umberleigh; and Riverside Boarding Kennels and Cattery, which also keeps cats, in Okehampton. No licensed business with a confirmed phone was found for Chulmleigh & Winkleigh or for the South Molton & Lynton and Beaworthy & Umberleigh areas beyond the one business each shown here, so those areas are thin; if you are nearer one of them, it is worth calling the relevant council directly for its current list as well as checking here.

The council licence position here

All nine businesses hold a current licence, which is a legal requirement in England for dog boarding, home boarding and day care, not something a business can opt out of. The four Torridge District Council businesses, Braddon House Kennels, Trixie Paws, Bogmoor Kennels and Whitebridge Boarding Kennels, were checked against the council's own PDF public register, which gives a star rating alongside the licence number and expiry, so all four show a star here (5 out of 5 in every case found). The other five businesses are licensed by North Devon Council or West Devon Borough Council; both councils' registers were read only through the animal-licensing.uk mirror rather than the council's own site, so no star rating is shown for Anna's Ark Pet Services, Faithful Friends Kennels, Coastal Kennels, Trelawn Boarding Kennels or Riverside Boarding Kennels and Cattery, even though the mirror itself lists one for each. The licence number and expiry are still shown for these five, since those come from the same register entry as the star; ask any of the five directly what its current inspection rating is if that matters to you.

Questions worth asking

• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before the stay do you need to see proof of them?
• Do you have a policy on kennel cough, and what is it?
• Do you have any breed restrictions or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Are you insured, and can you show evidence of current cover?
• How many other dogs, and from how many households, will be there during my dates?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while it is in your care?

None of the businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position beyond their licence, so these are all questions to put directly to the business rather than answers this directory can give on its behalf. See our Barnstaple prices guide for what Anna's Ark Pet Services and Trixie Paws charge, and what to expect from everyone else.