Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Durham and Chester-le-Street

Fourteen dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Durham and Chester-le-Street, and every one of them needs a licence to operate in England, whether it runs from a fixed kennels, a day-care unit or a home boarder's own house. A licence is not optional signage a business chooses to display: it is a legal requirement, checked and renewed by the council. 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 ask to see the certificate

All fourteen businesses on this page are licensed by Durham County Council, the single council covering Durham city, Chester-le-Street, Durham villages & Brandon, Consett, Stanley, Spennymoor & Crook and Ferryhill. Durham County Council does not publish its own register page for this research; its licence records were read through animal-licensing.uk, a third-party mirror of the council's own data, which is why no star rating is shown for any business on this page, even where the mirror itself may carry one for that operator. Ask any of these fourteen businesses to see its current licence certificate and licence number, and check that it matches what is published here, since a mirror can lag behind the council's own record.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

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

Group size and what's on offer

Few of the fourteen businesses listed publish exactly how many dogs they take at once, though some describe their scale in other ways: Lanchester Pet Resort, in Durham villages & Brandon, is licensed for up to 40 dogs and 15 cats; Hunwick Boarding Kennels, in Spennymoor & Crook, is licensed for 38 dogs; and Fondley Sett Farm, in Stanley, runs 27 kennels and 17 cattery units on a former farm. A home boarder such as Walk The Line Dog Walking and Pet Care or Willington Pet Services takes far fewer dogs at a time, in their own home rather than a kennel block. 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: Hunwick Boarding Kennels, for example, publishes a £1-a-day medication charge on top of its nightly rate.
• 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; none of the fourteen listed here publish a stated arrangement, so put this to whichever business you are considering.
• 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 businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position, so ask directly rather than assume an answer either way.