Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Brentwood

All eleven dog boarders, kennels and day cares listed for Brentwood are running a licensed activity under Brentwood Borough Council, so a licence and vaccination question is worth asking wherever you book. This guide sets out what is worth asking, not what a good answer looks like — that is for the business itself to tell you.

Ask to see the current licence

Brentwood Borough Council publishes its own register with a licence number, category and star rating for each business it licenses. Nine of the eleven businesses listed here were matched to a specific line in the council's own register; We Love Pets Brentwood and The K9 Paddocks could not be matched to a named line, so ask either directly for its current licence certificate before booking. See our council licences guide for exactly what the register shows for everyone else.

• Which category the licence covers — home boarding, day care, boarding kennels, or more than one
• Whether the licence is still current, and what the most recent inspection found beyond the star rating alone
• How many dogs the licence allows at once

Vaccinations: ask, don't assume

Ask the business what vaccinations it requires before your dog can start, and how far ahead of the booking it needs proof. Ladybird Kennel & Cattery asks for proof of vaccinations, including kennel-cough cover, before a stay begins; ask how far in advance it needs this, since practice varies between businesses and this directory cannot set that timing on anyone's behalf. The K9 Paddocks similarly asks for current vaccinations and a temperament assessment before a dog can attend.

Breed policies and insurance

Ask whether the business has any breed policies, including for an XL Bully — a boarder, kennels or day care is entitled to set its own conditions or decline a booking, and this directory cannot check a dog's exemption paperwork on a business's behalf. Marion's Home Dog Boarding and In The Doghouse both state on their own sites that they hold public liability insurance; treat that as each business's own claim rather than something this directory has verified, and ask to see proof if it matters to you.

Staff training and experience

Several businesses state a specific qualification on their own sites: Bed and Biscuit holds a Level 3 OFQUAL qualification in day care and boarding plus canine first aid certification, and Weald Walkies says all its staff hold Pet First Aid Level 2 (VTQ) certification. In The Doghouse states it follows dog-behaviour guidance from BarkBusters. None of this is the same as a council licence, so ask about training as a separate question.

Group size and one-to-one attention

Marion's Home Dog Boarding limits numbers to offer solo stays with no other dogs present, while We Love Pets Brentwood states a maximum of four dogs on a walk at a time. Ask any business how many dogs will be on-site or in the house during your dates, and whether they are from one household or several.

Ask what happens if plans change

It is worth asking, before you commit, what a business's cancellation policy is and whether a deposit is refundable if your plans change. None of this is set by this directory or by any licensing rule; it varies business to business. Our first-stay guide covers the practical side of a booking once you have asked these questions and decided to go ahead.