Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Blackburn

Twenty-one dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Blackburn, and every one of them needs a licence to operate in England, whatever kind of boarding or day care it runs. A licence is a legal requirement, checked and renewed by the relevant council, not a badge a business chooses to display. This guide sets out what is worth asking about the licence, your dog's health and the stay itself, rather than assuming any of it.

Check the licence, and which council issued it

Four councils license the businesses on this page. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Rossendale Borough Council each run their own register and give a star rating from 1 to 5 for most entries: ten of the twenty-one listings carry one of these two councils' star ratings. Hyndburn Borough Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council license the remaining eleven through a shared third-party mirror site, which confirms a licence but shows no number, expiry date or star for any operator on this page. See our council licences guide for exactly which council licenses which business. Whichever you are considering, ask which council issued its licence and for the licence number, and check the number yourself rather than taking a website's word for it.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

Ask the business what vaccinations it requires before a stay, and how long in advance it needs proof. Requirements and timing vary between operators, so there is no single schedule to give here, and this directory does not set or check one. Ask separately about a kennel cough policy, since that also varies from one boarder to the next.

Group size and what's on offer

A few of the twenty-one publish how many dogs or other pets they are licensed for: Willows Wags & Whiskers, near Crawshawbooth, is licensed for up to sixty dogs and eighty cats; PetStay - East Lancs & Bury prices up to three dogs a day and states it does not mix dogs from different households at all. Several kennels also take cats or small pets alongside dogs — Ribble Valley Kennels & Cattery, Tailwaggers Kennels & Cattery, Carr Hall Boarding Kennels & Cattery, Aspen Valley Boarding Kennels & Cattery, Glencoe Kennels and Cattery, Mitton Hall Boarding Kennels & Cattery and Willows Wags & Whiskers all board cats, and Eat Sleep Walkies Repeat runs a small-animal hotel for rabbits and guinea pigs alongside dog boarding. Ask how many other dogs, and from how many households, will be there during your dates.

Medication, breed policies and a vet emergency

• Ask how medication is given during a stay, and whether there is an extra charge for it.
• Ask whether the business has any breed policies or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate.
• Ask what happens if your dog needs a vet while in the business's care, and who decides and pays.
• Ask whether the business holds public liability insurance, and ask to see evidence rather than take a website's claim on trust.

None of the twenty-one Blackburn listings publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position, so put these questions directly to the business rather than assuming an answer.