How to choose dog boarding or day care in Brentwood

Eleven dog boarders, home boarders, kennels and day cares are listed for Brentwood, all licensed by Brentwood Borough Council except two whose name could not be matched to a line in the council's own register. Seven are home boarders, two run boarding kennels, and two run day care from a dedicated site rather than a home. What matters most when choosing depends on which of these you need.

Home boarding, kennels or day care

Bed and Biscuit, DogRunners, Weald Walkies, Top Dog Brentwood and We Love Pets Brentwood board dogs in the Brentwood area itself; Pawtopia Doggy Daycare & Dog Hotel boards and runs day care from the Pilgrims Hatch area, and Marion's Home Dog Boarding is in Warley. A home boarder takes your dog into their own house rather than a kennel block, usually alongside far fewer other dogs at a time than a kennel holds, so ask how many dogs will be in the house during your dates and whether they are all from one household. Arllaide Boarding Kennels & Cattery, in the Brentwood area, and Ladybird Kennel & Cattery, in Ingatestone, run boarding kennels for overnight stays, and both also take cats. In The Doghouse, in Pilgrims Hatch, and The K9 Paddocks, in Ingatestone, run day care from a dedicated site; In The Doghouse also offers boarding, though its council licence covers day care only, so ask about this directly. Shenfield and Hutton have no business listed directly in the area, though several of the businesses above say they cover both as part of a wider round.

The council licence in Brentwood

Brentwood Borough Council publishes its own register of licensed animal premises, and every business on this page holds a current licence from it except We Love Pets Brentwood and The K9 Paddocks, whose names could not be matched to a specific line in the council's own list; ask either business directly for its licence details before booking. Where the register gives a star rating, it runs from 1 to 5 and is shown on the listing: Arllaide's kennels currently carry the lowest rating found in the town, at 2 stars, while several home boarders and Pawtopia's day care licence carry the top rating of 5. A star rating is the council's own inspection score, not a customer review, so treat it the way you would a food hygiene rating rather than a Google star. Ask to see the current licence certificate and what maximum number of dogs it covers, since a licence can cap this below what the house or kennel could otherwise hold.

Questions worth asking

None of these are things this directory can answer on a business's behalf; they are worth putting to the business directly before you book.

• 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 will be there during my dates, and are they from one household or several?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care?

None of the businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position beyond what appears on their own licence or website, so ask rather than assume an answer either way.

Prices and extras

Three of the eleven businesses listed publish a price; see our Brentwood prices guide for the published figures and what they cover. Whichever type you choose, ask what a second dog from the same household costs, whether bank holidays are charged at a higher rate, and whether collection is included or priced separately.