Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Exeter

Twenty-two dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Exeter, licensed across three different councils. None of them can be checked on your behalf by this directory, so use the questions below as a starting point for the call, not a substitute for it.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

Vaccination policy is set by each individual business, and practice varies enough that this directory does not state a schedule or a waiting period for any of the twenty-two. Ask what vaccinations a business requires and how long before your dog's stay it needs to see proof. Kennel cough is worth raising separately: some businesses require cover for it, some do not, and this is the business's own policy rather than something this directory can confirm.

Breed policies

A boarder or kennels is entitled to ask about your dog's breed, or to decline a booking, including for an XL Bully. If your dog has a valid Certificate of Exemption, ask the business directly whether it has a policy rather than assuming any of Exeter's listed businesses will or will not accept the dog.

Insurance

None of the businesses listed for Exeter publish a stated insurance position beyond what appears, if anything, on their own site. Where a business says it is insured, treat that as the business's own claim rather than something checked here, and ask to see evidence of current cover.

Why the licence question matters more here

Exeter's twenty-two listings sit under three councils that publish very different amounts of detail. Exeter City Council's own register could not be reached this round, so the four businesses that state a Exeter City Council licence — St Thomas Dog Boarding, Outward Hounds, Home for Hounds and A Dogs Day Out Pinhoe — are shown here from their own published licence numbers only, not an independent check; ask to see the current certificate before booking with any of them. East Devon District Council and Mid Devon District Council both publish working registers, and most Exmouth, Crediton and Tiverton businesses are confirmed against one of the two, but a handful, including Exmouth Canine Centre, Devon Doggies and Animals at Home Exeter, could not be matched to an entry by name, so ask them the same question.

Questions worth asking

• Which council issued your licence, and what is the licence number?
• Can I see your current licence certificate?
• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before my dog's stay do you need to see proof?
• Do you have a kennel cough policy, and what is it?
• Do you have any breed restrictions or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Do you hold public liability insurance, and can you show evidence of current cover?

See our Exeter council licences guide for exactly which businesses are confirmed against which register.