Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Bath and north-east Somerset
Fourteen dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Bath and north-east Somerset, licensed either by Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) or, in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire Council. Every one of them sets its own vaccination and paperwork requirements, so this guide is a list of questions to put to the business you call, not a set of rules this site checks on your behalf.
Vaccinations
No two of the businesses listed here publish the same vaccination wording, and none is quoted here, because a requirement can change and this research cannot verify it on an ongoing basis. Ask what proof the business wants to see, in what form (a vaccination card, a certificate from your vet, a kennel cough record) and how close to your stay it needs to arrive. If your dog is a puppy still completing its first course, say so when you call: several businesses listed here, including Doggy Doos and Farm Fields Dog Day Care, take dogs on a day basis and will want to know its vaccination stage before booking a place.
Licensing
Home boarding, day care and boarding kennels are all licensed activities across the town. BANES covers Bath city centre and Widcombe, Bath south and Combe Down, and Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Paulton; Wiltshire Council covers Bradford-on-Avon. BANES publishes its licensed operators through a third-party mirror register, so ten of the businesses here show a confirmed council licence block on their own page. Wiltshire's own register could not be opened for this research, so Bradford-on-Avon's listing is shown on the strength of its own published licence claim rather than a register match. Either way, ask to see the current licence certificate and its expiry date; a licence is issued to a named person or company at a specific address, not to a brand.
Your dog's stay
Beyond vaccinations and the licence itself, the details that decide whether a booking suits your dog are ones only the business can answer. How many other dogs will be there during your dates, and are they from one household or several? How is medication given, and does it cost extra? Does the business have a breed policy, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate? What happens if your dog needs a vet while it is in the business's care, and who is called?
Questions worth asking every time
- What vaccinations do you require, and in what form should I bring proof?
- Can I see your current council licence and its expiry date?
- How many other dogs will be with mine, and from how many households?
- How is medication handled, and is there an extra charge?
- Do you have any breed conditions I should know about?
- What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care?
None of these are questions this directory can answer for a business, and none of the businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a detailed breed policy beyond what appears in their own licence. See our guide to choosing a boarder for how the fourteen listings split by area and type.