Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Doncaster

Every kennels, home boarder and day care listed for Doncaster answers to a single authority, City of Doncaster Council, and a licence is a legal requirement for all three activities in England, not something a business can choose to skip. A licence tells you a business has been inspected against the council’s own standards; it does not tell you what a particular stay will be like, so it is worth pairing a licence check with a direct question about vaccinations, breed rules and how a stay actually runs.

Vaccinations

Every kennels, home boarder and day care listed here sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what they require and how long before the stay they need to see proof of it, rather than assuming one rule covers the whole town. Several also have their own view on kennel-cough cover; practice differs from business to business, so raise it directly when you call rather than finding out on the day.

Licences

All nine businesses listed for Doncaster carry a licence confirmed directly against City of Doncaster Council’s own register at the time of research, from Hannah’s Happy Hounds to Chaiquinta Pet Hotel & Grooming Salon. Doncaster is a single unitary authority, so there is only one council to check here, unlike a town split between two or three district councils. See our council licences guide for what the register actually shows and what a star rating means.

Breed policies and insurance

A kennels, home boarder or day care is entitled to ask about a dog’s breed and set its own conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate, so ask directly rather than assuming either way. AD ASTRA Kennels and Cattery, in Thorne, states on its own site that it cannot take XL Bullies, American Bulldog crosses, or dogs that are pregnant, epileptic or diabetic — a reminder that a business’s own breed and health conditions can differ sharply from one Doncaster business to the next. Where a business’s own site says it holds public liability insurance, treat that as the business’s own claim: this directory has no way to check an insurance policy independently, so ask to see evidence if it matters to your decision.

Questions to ask before you book

• Can I see your current licence number, and can I check it against the council’s register myself?
• 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 or health conditions 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, and from how many other households, will be there during my dates?

None of Doncaster’s nine listed businesses publish a full vaccination schedule or an insurance position beyond what is stated on their own site, so these are all questions to put to the business directly rather than answers this directory can give on its behalf.