Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Bolton

Thirteen dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Bolton, spread across three licensing authorities: Bolton Council, Wigan Council and Bury Council. All three licence home boarding, day care and boarding kennels in England under the same 2018 regulations, so a current licence matters here whichever council issued it.

Vaccinations

Every boarder, kennels and day care here sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what it requires and how long before a stay it needs to see proof, rather than assuming one rule covers the whole borough. Views on kennel cough cover vary from business to business too; raise it directly when you call.

Licences

Eleven of the thirteen businesses here carry a licence confirmed directly against a council register: seven under Bolton Council, with a star rating shown for each, and four under Wigan Council, also with a star rating shown. The remaining two, Scotson Fold Pet Care Centre and The Dogmother, are both licensed by Bury Council, whose own online register could not be queried successfully this round, so no licence details are confirmed for either of them here. See our council licences guide for why.

Breed policies and insurance

A boarder, kennels or day care 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. Pooches Play House's own site describes itself as licensed and insured; treat that as the business's own claim, since Roskosh has no way to check an insurance policy independently, and ask any business here to show evidence if it matters to your decision.

Questions to ask before you book

• Which council licensed you, and can I see the certificate or licence number?
• 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?
• Do you say you hold public liability insurance, and can I see evidence of it?
• How many other dogs will be with mine at the same time, and are they from one household or several?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care, and who decides that?

What a licence actually covers

Wherever it is confirmed, a licence covers premises or home standards, record-keeping and how many dogs a business may keep at once; it does not fix a price, promise a particular room, or guarantee a certain group size, so ask those separately even once the licence itself checks out. A star rating, where one is shown, is a council licence rating from a risk-based inspection, not a customer review, so it is worth asking what specifically kept a business from a higher star band if that matters to your decision.